ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY – A South Korean national was abducted in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police said on Thursday.
Police said Li Pei Zhei was taken by four gunmen in the town called Kabasalan, but no other details were provided by authorities about the 18-year old foreigner.
The kidnappers fled with their victim in a van which was later found burning in the village of Timuay Danda also in Kabasalan town, about 130 kilometers from Zamboanga City.
Police said the gunmen escaped towards the sea with the foreigner where they boarded a motorized boat that sped off to the nearby town of Naga.
No individual claimed responsibility for the abduction and it was unknown whether the Korean Embassy has been informed about it. But previous ransom kidnappings in the province have been largely blamed to rebels who were raising money to finance their violent activities and for the purchase of weapons.
Just recently, the Korean Embassy expressed alarm over the rising number of Koreans killed by criminals in the Philippines since early this year.
Ambassador Hyuk Lee warned that Korean businessmen will avoid the Philippines and seek safer places for doing business if crimes against Koreans persist.
“The rising incidence of crimes committed against Koreans while in the Philippines either on vacation or on business is a trend that has alarmed the embassy of the Republic of Korea,” he said.
Lee said specific measures should be adopted by law enforcement agencies to prevent Koreans from being targeted by kidnap and robbery gangs.
Businessman Bae Minju was killed when his car was stolen by armed men on July 27. He was the ninth Korean reported killed in the Philippines since January. His wife was kidnapped, but later released unharmed. The victims’ family driver was arrested in connection with the crime.
In March, the 21-year old college student Lee Ji Won was kidnapped and murdered by a taxi driver and other assailants. Police have arrested four people linked to the murder, but three others remain at large.
The United Korean Community Association in the Philippines has started raising funds to support the investigation efforts of the police in relation to crimes committed against Korean nationals in the Philippines.
The fund will be the source of incentives to be given for the speedy resolution of cases, as well as for publication of a bulletin that will inform Koreans on safety measures and self-defense techniques. (Mindanao Examiner, Ely Dumaboc)
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