Civilians look at unidentified men, clad in camouflage jackets, Wednesday 16 Aug 2006 near the Cawa-Cawa beach in Zamboanga City, where suspected Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped the 19-year old Grace Gonzales, the daughter of a university president two weeks ago. (Zamboanga Journal)
ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 16 Aug) Unidentified gunmen killed a school principal in a broad daylight attack in Basilan island in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said Joselito Versoza was on his way to school when two motorcycle gunmen opened fire on him near the village of Parang Basak in Lamitan town. He was killed instantly.
The gunmen escaped after the killing, but troops were tracking down the assailants, said Brig. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, commander of military forces on the island, south of Zamboanga City. "We still don't know who were behind the killing or the motive of the attack. Authorities are still investigating the killing," he told the Zamboanga Journal.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but the island is a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf group tied to Jemaah Islamiya terror network. Versoza was the principal of the Lamitan National High School.
Security forces were also tracing suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf believed behind the kidnapping of the 19-year Grace Gonzales, whose father Dr Eldigario Gonzales is the president of the Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City.
The girl was kidnapped August 1 in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan by gunmen allied with the Abu Sayyaf. The kidnappers a still unspecified amount of ransom in exchange for the girl.
Aside from Gonzales, a young daughter of a senior police official was also kidnapped in Zamboanga City and until now is being held captive. But officials were silent on who was holding the girl.
Authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf group in several high profiles kidnapping of foreigners and wealthy Filipino in Zamboanga City. The group had previously kidnapped a German canning executive, two Belgians and a Taiwanese matriarch and Filipino-Chinese traders in Zamboanga City.
Officials said Joselito Versoza was on his way to school when two motorcycle gunmen opened fire on him near the village of Parang Basak in Lamitan town. He was killed instantly.
The gunmen escaped after the killing, but troops were tracking down the assailants, said Brig. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, commander of military forces on the island, south of Zamboanga City. "We still don't know who were behind the killing or the motive of the attack. Authorities are still investigating the killing," he told the Zamboanga Journal.
No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but the island is a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf group tied to Jemaah Islamiya terror network. Versoza was the principal of the Lamitan National High School.
Security forces were also tracing suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf believed behind the kidnapping of the 19-year Grace Gonzales, whose father Dr Eldigario Gonzales is the president of the Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City.
The girl was kidnapped August 1 in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan by gunmen allied with the Abu Sayyaf. The kidnappers a still unspecified amount of ransom in exchange for the girl.
Aside from Gonzales, a young daughter of a senior police official was also kidnapped in Zamboanga City and until now is being held captive. But officials were silent on who was holding the girl.
Authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf group in several high profiles kidnapping of foreigners and wealthy Filipino in Zamboanga City. The group had previously kidnapped a German canning executive, two Belgians and a Taiwanese matriarch and Filipino-Chinese traders in Zamboanga City.
1 comment:
Surveillance videos must be mandatory in all places. It would really help bring justice many times.
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