by Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG City,APR. 4(PIA)---The elements of the 101st Infantry Brigade’s 10th Infantry Battalion, together with the police operatives has launched a massive manhunt operation against the abductors of Salug, Zamboanga del Norte Mayor Jeffrey Lim.
Col. Alberto Valencia, 101st IB Executive Officer and concurrently, the Brigade’s Civilian Military Officer said, elements of 10th Infantry Battalion are now scouring the boundaries of Salug, Leon Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte, where the victim was reportedly brought by his abductors.
Simultaneously, the Condor 3 team of the military is also conducting sea patrol on the provincial water of Zamboanga del Norte to ensure that the group won’t be able to bring their victim to other island.
According to Valencia, they have received report that Lim is just kept by his abductors in the nearby areas.
Mayor Lim was abducted by 10 armed men, dressed in camouflage pants and shirts with markings “Pulis” around 7PM Monday while he was at the town’s bus terminal.
He was forced to ride in a yellow-colored mini-van an and was brought to Baybay Caracol, where the get-away vehicle was abandoned.
Valencia said, they have not yet identified the group responsible for the kidnapping nor its motive as nothing has been heard yet from the suspects.
Authorities are now verifying the ownership of the get-away vehicle to help in the investigation of the case.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Zamboanga del Norte has already convened the Crisis Management Committee to handle the incident and look for the solution of the abduction of Mayor Lim.(ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)