Gunmen seize retired education official, child in Zamboanga Sibugay

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Government authorities have launched pursuit operations aimed at rescuing a retired education official and a child abducted on Sunday by gunmen in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, the police reported.Senior Supt. Celso Bael, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, identified the victims as Isabel Muyargas and her grandson, Kyle Hamad, five of Ipil municipality, the province’ capital.Bael said Muyargas was the former superintendent of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Zamboanga Sibugay Division of Schools.Bael disclosed Muyargas and her grandson were seized by two gunmen around 11:40 a.m. Sunday from her residence in Bangkerohan, a coastal barangay in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.He said the victims were dragged to the shore where they were forced to board on one of the two waiting motorized bancas that sped to the high seas.He said they have immediately coordinated with the military forces and other police units to assist them in tracking down the whereabouts of the victims and rescue them.He said that thorough probe is ongoing in a bid to unmask the identities of the gunmen behind the abduction. (PNA)