CHIZ: PAY EQUAL ATTENTION TO KIDNAPPED TEACHERS

Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero on Wednesday said the government should give the same attention now being directed at freeing kidnapped Red Cross workers to the plight of other kidnap victims, particularly five abducted teachers, in Mindanao.

"While I commend the efforts being undertaken for the safe release of the three humanitarian workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the same amount of energy should be evident in actions to free other captives, especially teachers, now held in captivity in different parts of Mindanao," the opposition senator said.

Six teachers have been abducted on two different occasions in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Three teachers from Zamboanga City were kidnapped in January and are believed to have been taken to Basilan island.

Last March 13, police reported that a gang of pirates snatched elementary teachers Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noemi Mandi in the island barangay of Bangkaw-Bangkaw, Naga town in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

One of the teachers, Noemi Mandi, died in captivity because of complications due to a recent medical operation, according to reports.

Kidnappers are also holding a Sri Lankan peace worker and a lending firm employee.

"The real tragedy here is that most of the captives are teachers. They sacrifice a lot just to bring education to children in hard-to-reach barangays in Mindanao, and who knows those children are even relatives of their captors, and this is what they get for their heroism and sacrifices" Escudero said.

"Time is also running out for these abducted teachers. The government must act fast to prevent another tragedy from taking place," he said.

Escudero also said that although authorities cannot cover every nook and cranny of the southern Philippines, the government must focus its intelligence funds in those areas where kidnapping has become a major fund-raising activity.

"Sana intelligent ang paggamit ng intel funds para maiwasan itong mangyaring muli," he said.