6 family members including 2 minors were abducted in Sirawai, ZaNorte

By JONG D. CADION

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (July 1, 2018) – Six members of family Javier including the two minors were reportedly missing and believed to be abducted by unidentified armed men in Sirawai municipality in Zamboanga del Norte on June 28, 2018 at about 6:30am, Police Official said.

Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) PIO Chief PCINSP Helen L. Galvez disclosed that Sirawai Municipal Engineer Eng. Valiente ‘Toto’ Felizarte reported the incident to Sirawai Municipal Police Station (MPS) that the farm care taker of his farmhouse located at Sitio Maasom, Brgy San Nicholas, Sirawai were allegedly missing.

Initial investigation conducted disclosed that early morning of the same day a certain Janjan Vender, 26, a construction worker of irrigation system near the area noticed that the caretakers of the said farm were missing.

PCINSP Galvez identified the six missing victims were as follows:

a. Feliciano "Jerry" Javier, 28, married, farmer,

b. Elsa Javier (wife of Jerry) 28 yrs. old,

c. Junior Javier, 22 yrs. old, married, farmer,

d. Rica Javier, 22 yrs. old (wife of junior),

e. Val Javier, 5 yrs. old (son of Junior Javier) and

f. Vincent Javier, a five (5) months old baby of Jerry.

On June 29, 2018 at about 8:00am, Sirawai Vice Mayor Jaime T. Felizarta informed the Sirawai MPS that the abductors called up him and informed that the victims were in their custody and introduced himself as certain Abu, she said. 

Gavez added that the Vice Mayor was able to talk to one of the victims and told him that they are in good condition and the abductors promised to call the vice mayor on Saturday, June 30, 2018.

The Crisis Management Committee Emergency meeting was held on Saturday afternoon at the Mayor’s office presided by Local Chief Executive and attended by the Vice Mayor, Chief of Police of Sirawai MPS, RMFB9, ZNPFMC and the Army’s 42^nd Infantry Battalion, topic discussed was the safe recovery of the victims and the identifications of the abductors.

While in on-going meeting, the abductor called again the cellphone of the Vice-Mayor and demanded four hundred thousand pesos for the safe release of the victims, but the committee headed by the Municipal Mayor declined the said amount and just offered a minimal compensation. The abductor told the Vice-Mayor to call him back tomorrow.

The committee presumed that the abductors were headed by Jamilon Tukalan Aka Jamilon Wahab. The head of the committee suggested inviting the sister of Jamilon Wahab presently residing at Pula Bato, Sirawai, Zamboanga Del Norte for inquiry/interview in connection with the incident.

The committee also recommends the continue conduct of negotiation for the safe recovery of the victims.

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The committee also recommends the conduct of Law Enforcement Support Operation (LESO) in the AOR while negotiation is on-going in pursuit of the suspects and for the safe recovery of the victims.