Belisario kidnappers have yet to make contact with victim’s family

By Nora Soriño,  Nene Lachica
of GSD-Iligan Bureau,
and Lito Rulona, Correspondent

ILIGAN City–The kidnappers of Lanao del Norte businesswoman Clarita Belisario have yet to make contact with her family.

This was learned yesterday as the police started looking into the abduction and organizing to track down a Lanao del Norte group suspected of being behind the kidnapping of the 59-year old gasoline station owner in Linamon town on Monday.

Lanao del Norte police director Senior Supt. Faro Antonio Olaguera said initial investigation showed that at least eight armed men took part in the abduction in front of Beliserio’s house at Purok 3 in Barangay Poblacion.

Jun Enriquez, a director of the civil society organization Forum for Peace, said the kidnappers have yet to make contact, and he was worried because the victim was sickly and dependent on medicines.

Police said Belisario’s husband Gavino has disclosed that the night before the kidnapping, they noticed that there were vehicles–a grey Innova and a green Revo–at the premises of their gasoline station.

He said that when their workers tried to check the vehicles, the drivers sped off.

Gavino also said his family earlier heard “rumors” that his wife and granddaughter were targets for abduction.

Olaguera said police created a special investigation team composed of members of the Lanao del Norte police and other law enforcement groups. He said the team is closely working with the Linamon town government, the military, Regional Intelligence Unit of Camp Alagar, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), among others.

He said the Belisarios have been receiving threats of kidnapping since 2012, and the family was previously provided with police and military security aides. He said the government protection was stopped last year.

Olaguera also said Mr. Belesario learned of the recent threats but ignored it.