Palace Confirms Police Hunt for Abductors of Two Foreigners, One Filipino in Samal Island

Malacañang on Tuesday confirmed an ongoing police operation to hunt down the abductors of two foreigners and a Filipino from a resort in Samal Island, near Davao City.

“Merong ulat ang Police Regional Office 11 ng Philippine National Police, na bago maghating-gabi kagabi (Monday) ay nagkaroon ng abduction ng dalawang foreign nationals at isang Pilipino, na naganap sa isang resort sa Samal Island sa Davao del Norte. Sa kasalukuyan ay tinutugis na ng anti-kidnapping group ng PNP ang mga pinaghihinalaan,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. told reporters during a press briefing in Malacañang.

Secretary Coloma noted that the police are coordinating with the Eastern Mindanao Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other concerned agencies.

He also said that President Benigno S. Aquino III is monitoring the kidnapping incident, “dahil talaga namang sinusubaybayan niya ang mga mahahalagang kaganapan sa bansa.”

According to news reports, unidentified gunmen took the victims from the Oceanview Resort in Samal Island on Monday night, and fled toward the direction of Pantukan in Compostela Valley on board two motorized bancas.

Two bancas, believed to be those used by the kidnappers, were found at the shores of Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental on Tuesday morning. PND (ag)