SULU – Troops operating in the Muslim province of Sulu recovered an elderly man and a girl kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in southern Philippines, reports said Friday.
It said the 66-year old Jose Duterte, who was seized by gunmen along with his wife Jessica, was recovered in Panamao town, but details of his release were unclear. His 52-year old wife was freed by the kidnappers in Basilan province in September last year after receiving an unspecified amount of ransom.
The couple – not related to President Rodrigo Duterte – was kidnapped in March 2017 in the coastal town of Santa Maria in Zamboanga del Norte province.
Soldiers also rescued a seven-year old daughter of a Muslim merchant kidnapped in June this year in Tandubas Island in Tawi-Tawi province. The victim, who was identified as Astah, was rescued during a ransom payoff in the capital town of Jolo.
Four Abu Sayyaf militants were captured during the daring rescue mission. The girl’s family was believed to have informed the military about the payoff that led to the recovery of the victim.
The girl was seized by gunmen – who arrived on motorboat in the village of Himba – following a gun fight with the victim’s father who tried to stop the kidnapping. During the fighting, the girl’s mother was shot and wounded by the gunmen who quickly escaped to the sea.
Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Sulu are all part of the restive Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several kidnapped Filipinos and Asian sailors. (Mindanao Examiner)
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