Zambo gang, not Abu Sayyaf, snatched Italian priest — PNP

From the Daily Tribune (Oct 11): Zambo gang, not Abu Sayyaf, snatched Italian priest — PNP

Police said yesterday they have identified a local criminal gang as behind the abduction of an Italian restaurant owner and retired priest in Mindanao.

Senior Superintendent Cleve Taboso said the gang snatched Rolando del Torchio, 56, in the sleepy city of Dipolog on Wednesday, in a swift raid that shocked dinnertime crowd at his pizzeria.

Taboso, who is spokesman for the team trying to recover Del Torchio, said they identified the gang’s boss, known as “Commander Red Eye,” and four of his relatives based on closed-circuit TV footage of the abduction.

The policeman said he did not believe the gang had taken him to the extremist stronghold of Jolo island where any rescue would be more difficult.

The footage shows armed men shoving their captive as well as several restaurant patrons out of the pizzeria’s door as they flee the scene.

He said Red Eye had been arrested for another abduction in 2014 but managed to post bail.

The group is still believed to be in the southern peninsula of Zamboanga despite earlier fears they had fled to Jolo island, the stronghold of the Muslim extremists Abu Sayyaf, who are blamed for the worst terror attacks in the Philippines, Taboso added.

Many smaller kidnapping groups have often taken their hostages to the thickly-forested island of Jolo, located about 400 kilometres (240 miles) from Dipolog, to hand them over to the Abu Sayyaf who ransom them off for huge sums.

The local government of Dipolog City offers P100,000 reward money for any information that may lead to the whereabouts of del Torchio.

Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesperson, said the local government has designated cellphone number 09053321952, where the information could be relayed.

Mayor also said the investigation and pursuit operation continued, particularly on two suspects identified from the video in CCTV.

He said the two suspects were subjected to pursuit operation on Thursday but were able to leave before security forces arrived.

Meanwhile, Dipolog Bishop Severo Caermare urged the faithful to pray for the safety and immediate release of del Torchio.

“I humbly ask everyone to please pray and collaborate for his safety and immediate release,” he said.
With this, the Catholic prelate lauded the efforts of authorities on the incident.

“I’m the Bishop of Dipolog, appreciate the efforts done by the local government, police and military,” he said.

Del Torchio, 56, was abducted at his pizza restaurant, “Ur Choice Café” inside the Andres Bonifacio College Compound in Dipolog City on Oct. 7.

According to witnesses, four of the kidnappers posed as customers and, as seen on CCTV, another six came in and later forced del Torchio to go with them.

They dragged him to a van and sped towards the coastal barangay of Miputak, in Manukan town, where they switched to two pump boats and disappeared.

The gateway vehicle was later found near the shoreline.

Del Torchio was ordained a missionary of Vatican’s Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME). He was born on Nov. 16, 1958 in the town of Angera, northern Italy, and ordained priest in 1984.

A PIME priest said that the abduction should not be linked to the conflict in Mindanao between Islamic separatist groups in Mindanao and the government.

“We cannot say that it was made to boycott or to undermine the agreements reached. Also because in Dipolog there are no conflicts between Christians and Muslims. It is more likely that the reason is not political, but economic, for a ransom,” said Fr. Giovanni Re, PIME regional superior in the Philippines in a statement. 

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/zambo-gang-not-abu-sayyaf-snatched-italian-priest-pnp