DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte – Government troops are tracking down the whereabouts of a 64-year-old Filipino-American abducted late Wednesday by gunmen in a remote barangay in this province.
An initial report from the Army’s 42nd Infantry Battalion and the police’s 902nd Regional Mobile Force Company identified the victim as Rex Triplet, a resident of Piacan, Sirawai.
Investigation showed that Triplet and his 24-year-old wife, Celsa Maani, were on their way home around 6 p.m. to Barangay Piacan on a black Honda motorcycle when flagged down by four armed men clad in fatigue uniforms in Barangay Tapanayan, about five kilometers from Sirawai town proper.
The army and police reports added that the unidentified gunmen, brandishing M-203 grenade launcher and short firearms, forcibly dragged Triplet to a vehicle.
In the commotion, Triplet’s wife managed to escape and asked for help from barangay officials.
The gunmen holding Triplet fled to an unknown direction, the reports added.
The municipality of Sirawai is part of this province’s Triple “SB” area, which is a known lair of lawless groups operating in the province.The Triple “SB” area comprises of the towns of Siocon, Sibuco, Sirawai, and Baliguian.