Three barangay captains of Pilar town were believed to have been abducted after they were spotted being escorted into a maroon-colored van in said town on Monday night and were not seen since then.
According to PO3 Francisco Amila of the Pilar Police Station, one of the village chiefs, Renerio Ayop of Barangay Del Pilar, while in a drinking session near the Malinao Dam was approached by unidentified men on board a van.
The two other barangay officials, identified as Expedito Bactasa of Barangay Ilaud and Emilio Balaba of Barangay Lundag, were riding a motorcycle in Ilaud, Pilar when they were intercepted by a van, said Amila based on eyewitnesses’ statements.
All three barangay captains were spotted as they boarded what was believed to be the same van, a maroon Nissan Urvan, and were not seen since then.
For his part, PO2 Jeofrey Aparece said that witnesses saw Bactasa and Balaba being forcibly taken into the van.
“Gikuha me aning mga tawhana, dia me sulod sa kwarto,” Ayop reportedly told his wife.
Families of the other village chiefs have also reported the incident to the police.
Pilar police and members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team of the Bohol Provincial Police Office have been deployed to conduct follow-up operations on the case. (Allen Doydora)