‘Abduction’ in Iligan puzzles authorities

By NITZ ARANCON
and LITO RULONA
Correspondents

INVESTIGATORS are baffled over what really happened to the six young people, mostly students of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), who were allegedly snatched by a group in Iligan City over the weekend.

While four of them–MSU-IIT education student Juhary Gubat, MSU-IIT alumnus Kevin Limpin, Hannah Yurong, and Eloisa Lacson–were “freed” in Linamon, Lanao del Norte on Monday, police said they could not conclude that it was a case of kidnapping.

Yurong is reportedly a former MSU-IIT student who dropped out while Lacson is not a student of MSU-IIT.

The fate of two other students identified as history student Berzon Rey Paeste of Pagadian City, and 5th year electronics communication Cid Rick Jamias of Tacurong City remains unclear at presstime.

“We still could not ascertain if it was a kidnap-foransom case. There was no demand for money. We are looking into other possibilities,” said Supt. Surki Sereñas, Camp Alagar spokesman.

Sereñas said this even as Camp Alagar sent a group of police officers to help the Iligan and Lanao del Norte police in finding Paeste and Jamias, and in making sense of what happened to the students.

Sereñas said the students were having a drinking spree at a gasoline station in Tibanga, Iligan City on Saturday night when they were picked up by a group of still unidentified persons.

He said the students failed to identify anyone in the group, and even the kind of vehicle used was unclear.

Sereñas noted that Gubat, Lacson, Yurong and Limpin could not tell investigators if they were abducted or not.

“Mao kini nga dili pa kita maka-confirm kon kidnapping ba o dili ang nahitabo. ‘Missing’ lang una ang atong matawag niini nga  insidente,” he said.

Sereñas also noted that the students told investigators that they were blindfolded at first but “when they were released, they said they were no longer blindfolded.”

He said the Iligan police have urged the students to press charges but they seem to be reluctant.

“Naila nila ang mga abductors pero nagduha-duha sila sa pag-file og kaso,” he said. “Ang lisod ani kay pagkawala sa mga estudyante, Lunes na sa hapon na report. Abi sa mga ginikanan og nag-gimmick lang ang mga batan-on. Layo na kayo ang ilang naabtan.”

Sereñas said investigators were still trying to make sense of the incident. “Naa pa kita’y detalye nga dapat mahibaloan ani,” he said.

He said there were suspicions that the incident was fraternityelated.

“Basin mi-apil kini sila sa fraternity, ug  basin  lakip kini sa ilang initiation ang  paglaag-laag.  So mao kini ang sa  usa sa mga angolo  nga gototokan sa investigation,” said Sereñas.

“Usa gani sa mga common nga abduction diha is related adtong pyramiding scam. After makabayad ielease dayun. We are looking into other angles,” he said.

Sereñas said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is also looking into the incident, and is helping the Lanao del Norte and Iligan police.

He said even the military is helping law enforcers in locating Paeste and Jamias.

It was the MSU-IIT Office of Publication and Information (OPI) that alerted MSU-IIT security chief Eduardito Maruhom about what appeared at first to be an abduction.

Maruhom then sought the help of lawyer Alex Cabornay of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the 2nd Mechanized Brigade Intelligence Group of the Armed Forces, and the police. Maruhom and Cabornay are members of the Iligan City Citizens Crime Watch.

Based on Maruhom’s investigation, the group left the gasoline station premises late Saturday evening in a white vehicle with license plates KGJ-661. The vehicle was allegedly driven by a man described only as the cousin of Gubat.

The group drove westward, towards the next town, Linamon, Lanao del Norte, but reportedly stopped at a gas station where Gubat allegedly got off to make a call. A few minutes after they continued on the road, their vehicle was stopped by armed men in Tominobo, Iligan City.

The young people were said to have been blindfolded and brought to an unknown, uphill and muddy area where they were separately interviewed about their parents’ jobs.

All are said to be in hiding for fear of their lives.

Maruhom said that the NBI traced a phone call from a cell phone to Bacolod, Lanao del Norte and as of this writing, military intelligence reportedly said that the students were brought to Munai, Lanao del Norte.

Bacolod town is three towns west of Iligan City, approximately 30 kilometers away while Munai town is about 10 minutes away going inland from Bacolod town.

MSU-IIT chancellor Sukarno Tanggol said the matter is still being investigated, and the school is “doing its best for the safety of the kids.” (with reports from pna)