A town mayor of a third-class municipality in Zamboanga Sibugay was abducted Monday night at her seaside residence and police investigators are eyeing local politics as the motive behind the abduction.
Initial reports show that Naga Mayor Gemma Adana was entertaining female visitors from Bukidnon at home at about 9:10 p.m. when heavily-armed men, wearing bonnets, interrupted the merrymaking and dragged her into a motorized banca where other men were waiting.
Insp. Dahlan Samudin, spokesperson of the Zamboanga Peninsula regional police said there is no indication yet that Adana’s abduction was perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) known for their kidnap-for ransom activities.
Explaining why kidnap for ransom is unlikely, Samudin said most of the victims targeted are traders or wealthy people.
In the case of Adana, he said that the mayor is not that rich to get the attention of kidnap groups.
“We are looking at the coming 2016 elections as the possible motive. That is our initial assessment of the case and this angle is now part of the investigation,” Samudin told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.
According to a policeman who spoke on condition of anonymity Adana, a three-term local executive did not have security escorts at the time of her abduction as she reportedly has the habit of sending her two escorts away when she reaches home.
Manila Bulletin
