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Thursday, May 11, 2006
Suspected Sayyaf militants snatch Basilan girl
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen snatched Wednesday a nine-year-old daughter of a politician in the southern Philippine island of Basilan, officials said.
Officials said Donna May Ramos, daughter of Councilor Donel Ramos, was abducted while riding on her bicycle in downtown Lamitan town shortly before 4 p.m.
"The abductors fled on motorcycle toward the neighboring town of Tuburan, and we have alerted our soldiers in the area. We are helping the police track down the hostage," said Brigadier General Raymundo Ferrer.
No group claimed responsibility for the latest abduction, but Ferrer said the two men have already been identified by authorities and were believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf group, blamed for the string of kidnappings for ransom and terrorism in the southern region.
Police in Basilan said the two men originally seized Ramos and an unidentified boy but he was able to escape. "The boy escaped and the two men fled with the girl. We are still checking the identity of the boy. He could shed some light about this incident," said Superintendent Clifford Gairanod.
Another faction of the Abu Sayyaf is still holding kidnapped pharmacy owner Bren Vergarra, 41, in Jolo island. His 70-year-old mother Caridad, who was also kidnapped April 12, was freed two weeks later. The kidnappers originally demanded two million pesos ransom in exchange for the victim's safe release.
The Abu Sayyaf group is listed in the US foreign terror list and Washington has offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of its leader Khadaffy Janjalani, who masterminded the 2001 kidnapping of three American citizens in Palawan island in central Philippines and later killed two of them. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(May 11, 2006 issue)
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