Sulu Governor Totoh Tan and municipal and provincial officials with two rescued kidnapped victims Lindo Estrada and Itih Partosa. (Mindanao Examiner Photo – Ahl Salinas)
SULU (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 29, 2013) – Authorities on Friday have rescued two men who were kidnapped in the southern Tawi-Tawi province and brought to Sulu province, officials said.
Officials said Lindo Estrada and Itih Partosa, who are both carpenters, were seized by gunmen while working on a contracted project in Simunul town in September.
The men, who are both from Zamboanga City, were spotted by villagers in the town of Omar and immediately informed the local leaders headed by Mayor Ferhana Mohammad.
The victims’ guards managed to escape after seeing security forces heading their way in the village of Sucuban.
The two men said they were first brought to the town of Pata and then kidnappers transferred them to Kalinggalan Caluang due to the presence of police forces in the area and then brought them to Omar town to avoid being detected by the police, according to Erwin Tan, the provincial administrator.
He said the two men met with the governor and other town officials and thanked them for their safe recovery.
“Governor Tan ordered medical personnel to examine the victims who were later handed over to the military in the capital town of Jolo for a routine debriefing,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
It was unknown whether the kidnappers were members of the Abu Sayyaf or criminals operating in Tawi-Tawi province. (Mindanao Examiner)
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