A MAN with the same family name as President Rodrigo Duterte and his wife were kidnapped by still unidentified armed men at their residence in Zamboanga del Norte Friday night.
Sr. Supt Rogelio Alabata, spokesman of the Police Regional Police Office, in his report identified the victims as Mr. Jose Duterte, 62, and his wife Jessica Barazon-Duterte, 52, resident of Sitio Tabuk, Barangay Sta. Maria, Siocon in the province.
The couple, engaged in coconut farming, were resting in their residence when at least five armed men barged into their house, forcibly took them away and herded them to a waiting motorized boat and sped to a still unknown destination.
Police and the military are on a chase for the kidnappers, officials said.
Witnesses told police there were two watchmen outside while the Duterte couple were taken away by the gunmen.
Police are looking into reports the armed men were wearing police uniforms at the time of the kidnapping.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said they have yet to verify if the Duterte couple were indeed related to President Duterte.
He stressed, however, there were several Dutertes in the country but were not related to each other.
“They [the kidnapped Dutertes] may not be related to President Duterte,” Esperon said.
Alabata said an immediate investigation and hot pursuit operation by Siocon police and the Army’s 13th Special Forces were taking place to possibly track down the kidnappers and eventually rescue the victims.
The kidnapping incident occurred barely three months after Abu Sayyaf bandits forcibly snatched 70-year-old German Jurgen Kantner and his partner Sabine Merz after they intercepted their 50-footer yacht while sailing off the coast of Sabah last November.
Last Sunday, Kantner was beheaded by his ASG captors after failing to come up with the P30 million ransom demanded by the bandits for his release.
This sparked a full military offensive resulting in the killing of at least 12 Abus in week-long skirmishes in the ridges of Patikul, Sulu.
The Abus are still holding 31 hostages and the military has sent thousands of soldiers pursuing the bandits to rescue the captives.