Police probers are still groping in the dark as to the whereabouts of a non-government worker who was reported missing and believed abducted by unidentified persons on Jan. 25 in Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan City.

Supt. Roderick Alba, Kabankalan police chief, yesterday said they were surprised upon hearing from the media about the alleged abduction involving NGO worker Felicidad Katalbas, that had took place in front of the Kabankalan District Hospital.

The disappearance of Katalbas on Jan. 25 was only reported to the Kabankalan police two weeks after the incident, Alba said.

National Bureau of Investigation Bacolod Chief Mamerto Cortez yesterday said the NBI help has also been sought by the Katalbas family to find Felicidad.

A certain Teddy Katalbas of Sagay City, reported the disappearance of his aunt to the Kabankalan police on Feb. 8.

Alba said they have no concrete information yet on the alleged abduction of Katalbas, after interviewing several people at the scene of the incident in front of a hospital in Kabankalan.

Kabankalan police probers have already coordinated with their counterpart in Sagay to look for Teddy Katalbas.

Alba said they need his statements to verify the source of his information that his aunt was picked up by unidentified persons in Kabankalan City.

Usually, a case of missing person is reported two to three days after the incident, Alba said, but in this case, it was reported two weeks after.

Katalbas worked as a project officer of the Dumaguete-based Negros Rural Assistance Program Inc. that provides services, training and livelihood programs to various farmer communities in Negros Island, according to Karapatan-Negros. Her family has sought the help of Governor Joseph Marañon, the Commission on Human Rights and Brig. Gen. Gregorio Fajardo in looking for her.*GPB

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