Wednesday, August 06, 2008 Kidnappers frees MSU professor By Richel V. Umel Iligan Correspondent
ILIGAN CITY -- Abductors of a Mindanao State University professor in Marawi City released him Tuesday afternoon after over a month in captivity, police said.
Sherwin Nacua, 45, was released at around 3:30 p.m. in the outskirts of Barangay Bansayan, Piagapo town of Lanao del Sur after tense negotiations, said Police Senior Superintendent Adap Pañares of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Office.
The police official did say whether a ransom money or board and lodging fees was given in exchange for Nacua's freedom.
Earlier reports disclosed that six Nacua's abductors had demanded a P5 million ransom.
Nacua, a biology professor, is now reunited with his family, MSU president Macapado Moslem said.
Pañares identified one of the abductors only as certain Pagu, whose group demanded employment during the course of the negotiations. It was not learned whether this demand had been part of the deal that freed the teacher.
Nacua along with more than 20 other faculty and students were aboard an Iligan-bound passenger jeepneey on June 26 when armed men held them up at Saguiaran town, 15 minutes away from MSU Campus in Marawi City.
The suspects took only Nacua and brought him on a vehicle towards Piagapo town, where an MILF camp holds base.
There were also sketchy reports that said the suspects might be disgruntled employees of MSU who have been removed by the new MSU administration. Still others say local kidnapping syndicates could have kidnapped Nacua.
Nacua's abduction is the third kidnapping incident this year.
Just a week after Nacua's abduction, Lolita Rodriguez, another faculty from Jamiatul Muslim Integrated Foundation, was kidnapped allegedly by disgruntled students who had failing marks. She was released days later.
On March 29, Jung Tae-yung, a Korean businessman, and Victor Macasera Jr. were abducted in the province. Yung is a mining investor interested in chromate potentials in Butuan City and Ditsaan Ramain town.
Macasera and Jung Tae-yung were released after 56 days in captivity due to a concerted effort of negotiations by tribal leaders, local government units, the police and the military.
The MSU-Main campus, with more than 10,000 students, is within Muslim-dominated Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur. More than 50 percent of its students and faculty population are non-Muslims. (With reports from Samira Gutoc)
