Former town councilor survives kidnap try in Masbate

MANILA, Philippines - A former town official was wounded after a group of armed men tried to abduct him in Masbate province early Wednesday morning. Police Inspector Antonio Diño, Claveria town police chief, identified the victim as Pepe Yap, a 56-year-old former councilor of Claveria. The victim was inside his residence in Sitio Bodega in Barangay Pasig, Claveria, when armed men barged into the house about 5 a.m. The former councilor was dragged to neighboring Sitio Kiputol and was tied on a tree. A gunman shot Yap three times. “Talagang hinaharangan nila iyong daan. Hindi nila pinapadaan iyong mga jeep sa lugar (The gunmen prevented vehicles from passing the area)," Diño told GMANews.TV over the phone. The assailants fled, leaving the injured Yap who was later brought to a hospital in Masbate City. Claveria is a fourth class municipality in the southern province of Masbate, which lies southeast of Manila. The town, located on Burias Island, has 38,398 people in 7,730 households. The local police have yet to establish a motive for the shooting even as further investigation is underway to identify the members of the armed group. “Nandito pa siguro iyon sa Burias Island (They might still be on Burias Island)," said Senior Police Officer 4 Nono Batiancila, deputy chief of police. - GMANews.TV