Police: No ransom demand yet for kidnap victims

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Two days after the abduction of a gasoline station owner and her secretary, the police have yet to receive "demands" from the armed group believed to be hiding somewhere in the Maguindanao marsh.

Chief Inspector Bernard Tayong, chief of Libungan Police, told the media that the family of Alma Cuan-Datuwata, owner of Petron gas station located in Poblacion, Libungan town, or of her secretary Cristabel Jorolan, have not received any "ransom demand" from the suspects.

The victims were forcibly snatched from the gas station in Poblacion on Tuesday night and ordered to board a van parked outside the office and headed towards the marsh, reports said.

Police recovered the torched getaway vehicle in a remote village in Libungan.

This developed as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) operating in North Cotabato have expressed willingness to help Police and Army rescue the kidnap victims.

A top MILF official told the local government they would not hesitate to turn over to authorities the suspects if they happen to “seek refuge” in their area of operations.