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October 21, 2009, GMA News, 3:47 PM, 8 gov't employees abducted in Butuan,

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Other Kidnappers

October 21, 2009, GMA News, 3:47 PM, 8 gov't employees abducted in Butuan

Eight government employees who were manning a checkpoint near a protected watershed in northern Mindanao have been abducted by still unidentified gunmen, a military official said Wednesday.

This is the third incident of kidnapping in southern Philippines in a span of 10 days, following the abduction of an Irish priest in Zamboanga del Sur and a school principal in Sulu.

Maj Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, head of the Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command, said the workers, composed of a local government executive and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) employees, were kidnapped in Barangay Anticala in Butuan City near the Taguibo Watershed at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. 

Illegal loggers and miners and communist rebels operate in the area.

"The fate of the abducted persons is still uncertain. Identity and affiliation of the perpetrators are being determined," Ferrer said.

He said the pick up truck that the victims were using was also taken by their abductors.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza identified the missing persons as forester Gabriel Arlan, Rito A. Espenido, Teofredo E. Pujadas, Emiliano P. Gatillo, Jr., Efren N. Sabuero, Rudy A. Clar and Eduardo E. Abogata.

He said the victims were all assigned at the Task Force Watershed Multisectoral Checkpoint in Barangay Anticala.

Atienza said the incident would not "deter us from pursuing our environmental protection programs."

He instructed Edilberto Buiser, DENR regional director for Caraga, to coordinate with the police and military to secure the safe release of the victims.

Caraga regional police director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said probers are still verifying if the victims were abducted or have simply lost contact with their superiors.

“As of now we cannot ascertain that these people were abducted. We are trying to locate a witness who saw the incident," Calingasan said, adding he did not know why the DENR personnel were in the area without military or police escorts.

Nonetheless, Calingasan said government troops have been sent to track down the victims.--Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV, with an AP report

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