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Thursday, August 03, 2006
Gunmen abduct university president's daughter
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Unidentified gunmen snatched the daughter of a university president in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, where the Abu Sayyaf group is known to operate, officials said.
Officials said 19-year-old Grace Gonzalez was seized late Tuesday near their house in Guiwan village by gunmen who also attacked and injured her female companion.
Local radio reports said Gonzalez's companion was rushed to a hospital after one of the men hit her in the head with the butt of his gun.
Gonzales is the daughter of Dr. Eldigario Gonzalez, president of the state-owned Western Mindanao State University.
"We still don't know the motive, but the police are closely working with the victim's family," said Superintendent Francisco Cristobal, chief of the local police force.
He said the victim's family had received previous kidnapping threats and that police were investigating whether it was connected to the abduction of Gonzalez.
The military is also trying to trace the whereabouts of the victim, said Army Colonel Edgardo Gidaya, commander of a local anti-terrorist task force.
"There is an ongoing investigation and we cannot say at this time who were behind the abduction or whether the Abu Sayyaf was involved or not, but security forces are now tracking down the victim," he said.
Early this year, a young daughter of a senior police official was also kidnapped in Zamboanga City and until now is being held captive. But officials remain silent on who was holding the girl.
Authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf group in several high-profile kidnappings of foreigners and wealthy Filipinos in Zamboanga City. The group had previously kidnapped a German canning executive here, two Belgians and a Taiwanese matriarch, and Chinese-Filipino traders. (Sunnex)
(August 3, 2006 issue)
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