60-yr-old businesswoman abducted in Zamboanga

A 60-year-old widowed businesswoman was abducted by unidentified men in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte Monday afternoon, police and military reports said Tuesday.

Police and military officials, however, announced different names of the victim, owner of the Ben Yee Store in Barangay Poblacion, Sirawai.

Superintendent Rogelio Alabata, public information officer of Police Regional Office 9, identified the victim as Cristina Yee.

In a press statement, Major Filemon Tan of the Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command, identified the victim as Martina “Tinang” Yee.

Alabata said the victim was forcibly taken by more or less six unidentified armed men on board a motor boat at around 4:15 p.m. and fled towards Barangay Pugus, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.

Tab said the victim was inside her grocery store when the armed men dragged her towards the shoreline and was forced to board a double-engine pumpboat en route to Zamboanga City.

He said joint elements of the military and police conducted pursuit operations to rescue the victim. He said air and floating assets were tasked to establish security points along the shoreline of Sirawai and Sibuco towns in Zamboanga del Norte.

Tan added that intelligence monitoring has been intensified to locate the victim and the abductors. —ALG, GMA News