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Sunday, January 19, 2003
Pentagon strikes again, kidnaps 2
By Jeffrey M. Tupas
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom group played a cat-and- mouse game with the military by striking anew while the government troopers were busy with their operation in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Cotabato last week.
At least 60 armed Pentagon gang members snatched two men and brought them to Barangay Kisupaan in Pres. Roxas town of Cotabato Province, where Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) Camp Usman is located.
Kisupaan is some 40 km from Poblacion President Roxas.
The Tahir Alonto-led group was sighted in the area last week, while heavy ground and land assaults were on going in Colombio in Sultan Kudarat, Datu Piang in Maguindanao and Tulunan in Cotabato.
President Roxas Mayor Jaime Mahimpit, quoting some residents, said the armed men were seen with the two captives in tow.
Mahimpit said they are yet trying to identify the two captives.
He said the group sought "refuge" with a former MILF leader identified as Kumander Tahomting.
Tahomting, he said, maintained a "good" relationship with the residents until this group came.
He said the group came from Buluan. Another report, he said, says the group might have actually come from Basilan.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piņol said the group sailed upstream passing the Pulangi river from somewhere in Maguindanao.
Piņol said the group is being led by one Magtanggol Alonto.
Alonto, Piņol said, was responsible for the kidnapping and killing of Ambo Torquesa, a businessman from Mlang, Cotabato, and his driver in 1999.
Bird hunters
Meanwhile, three bird hunters were captured and allegedly killed by Muslim bandits in Kalawit town, Zamboanga del Norte Tuesday, police said Saturday.
Other bird hunters discovered the bodies of the three tied to a tree and peppered with bullets, a day later. Investigators are still to establish the motive of the killing.(Sun.Star Davao with AFP) |
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