PAGADIAN CITY – Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Sulu province released a woman they kidnapped in August in Zamboanga del Norte.
The 64-year old Helen Roda was freed Friday after her family reportedly paid a still undetermined amount of ransom. Her husband, Rufo, 62, who was kidnapped along with her, had been released in October.
The woman took a ferry in Jolo town and travelled to Zamboanga where she was reunited with her husband.
The couple was kidnapped in August 31 after gunmen attacked and killed civilians – Amsid Maugag Callun, Absar Julkanain Gumba, Kabiran Saliuddin Ginsing, Saddam Baitulla Tahir, Jaayri Bairulla Lumihig and Muslimin Adan – in Piakan village in Sirawai town. A minor, Jering Carbi, was also wounded, in the assault.
The Western Mindanao Command and the local police authorities did not issue any statement on Roda’s safe release.
Last June 28, gunmen also kidnapped 6 people, including an infant, from a farm in San Nicolas village in Sirawai town. The victims, Feliciano Javier, 28; his wife Elsa, 28, and their five-month old baby Vincent; and Junior Javier, 22, and wife Rica, also 22-years old and their five-year old son Val, are keepers of farm owned by Valiente Tolo Felizarta, the town’s municipal engineer.
They were eventually released two weeks later in Gata village in Talipao town in Sulu in exchange for an unspecified amount of ransom and fetched by soldiers. (Mindanao Examiner)
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