Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Kidnappers free Tawi-Tawi teacher (5:07 p.m.)
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A top police official announced Wednesday that Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants and Abu Sayyaf bandits have freed the teacher they seized after killing a priest in the province of Tawi-Tawi province.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) Police Director Joel Goltiao said Omar Taup was freed last March 18 after alleged payment of "board and lodging" fee to his captors.
"He (Taup) was already released," Goltiao said. "They paid, according to the relatives, the amount of P200,000 for his (Taup) release," Goltiao added.
His captors earlier demanded a ransom of P1 million in exchange for Taup's freedom. It was reportedly later lowered to P350,000.
Goltiao said Taup was abandoned by his captors at the wharf of Bongao town, the capital of Tawi-Tawi province. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex) |
