Seven Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) employees were abducted early Wednesday by seven heavily armed men as the victims were conducting an environmental checkpoint at a village in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the victims were identified as Gabriel Arlan, team leader; Teofredo Pujadas, Rito Espenido, Rudy Clar, Eduardo Abogatal, Emiliano Gatillo Jr., and Efren Sabuero.

Brawner said the victims were seized by seven armed men onboard four motorcycles who stormed the Anticala Watershed Multi-Sectoral checkpoint which the victims were manning at around 1 a.m.

At gunpoint, the suspects herded the victims to their service vehicle, a pick-up truck, which the armed men drove. The suspects fled toward the direction of Barangay Padi-ay, Sibagat City, Agusan del Sur.

“The fate of the abducted personnel is still uncertain,” Ferrer said in a text message to reporters, adding the incident could be related to mining activities in the province.

It was further learned that the victims went to the area to conduct a surprise inspection without coordinating with the police or military in the area.

Reports showed that last October 20, the armed men approached the team and requested them to allow the passage of forest products through the checkpoint.

However, the request of the armed men was denied by the DENR personnel.

Later the DENR men were abducted.

Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) commander, said authorities have yet to establish the identities of the suspects.

Intelligence information from the field, however, showed the victims were seized by communist rebels led by one Manuel Anob, alias “Salem” or “Ding.”

Following the kidnap, the DENR created a crisis management committee that will draw plans and courses of action to rescue the seven abducted DENR personnel.

A crisis management committee was immediately created to draw plans and courses of action in accordance with existing policy, rules and regulations to assist the DENR-Caraga management in resolving the incident.

“The government will not tolerate this intimidation, and it will not deter us from pursuing our environmental protection programs,” DENR Secretary Lito Atienza said.

The checkpoint in Barangay Anticala was transferred last Sept. 30 from Barangay Pianing due to reports of rampant illegal logging in the area.

“We are exerting all our efforts to rescue the men. There is no demand for ransom as of now,” DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Eleazar Quinto said.