Philippine militants free three captives
Islamic militants have freed three Filipino hostages after more than a week in captivity in the southern Philippines, police and military officials said on Monday.
PHILIPPINES: Islamic militants have freed three Filipino hostages after more than a week in captivity in the southern Philippines, police and military officials said on Monday.
Hostages Wilma Sumergido, 50, her 14-year-old son Michael, and driver Ranillo Ando, 41, were picked up by hostage negotiators in the town of Tipo-Tipo on Basilan island where Abu Sayyaf militants freed them late Sunday, officials said.
The three were abducted on July 20 in another Basilan town. Police said they were verifying reports that an unspecified "board and lodging payment", a euphemism for ransom, was paid to the captors.
The three, who looked haggard but otherwise unharmed, were immediately brought to a military camp for further medical check up and debriefing, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar.
The three were the latest in a string of kidnappings blamed on the Abu Sayyaf the past month. On June 8, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped a high-profile television reporter and her crew of two and held them for nine days.
The militants also kidnapped three workers from a telecom company and five electricity workers all in the past month. All have either been freed after ransom payments or were rescued.
The Abu Sayyaf is a small gang of Islamic militants who have once received funding from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. The group is on the US government's list of wanted foreign terrorist organisations, and is blamed for the kidnapping deaths of two Americans abducted in 2001.
Hostages Wilma Sumergido, 50, her 14-year-old son Michael, and driver Ranillo Ando, 41, were picked up by hostage negotiators in the town of Tipo-Tipo on Basilan island where Abu Sayyaf militants freed them late Sunday, officials said.
The three were abducted on July 20 in another Basilan town. Police said they were verifying reports that an unspecified "board and lodging payment", a euphemism for ransom, was paid to the captors.
The three, who looked haggard but otherwise unharmed, were immediately brought to a military camp for further medical check up and debriefing, said provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar.
The three were the latest in a string of kidnappings blamed on the Abu Sayyaf the past month. On June 8, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped a high-profile television reporter and her crew of two and held them for nine days.
The militants also kidnapped three workers from a telecom company and five electricity workers all in the past month. All have either been freed after ransom payments or were rescued.
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The Abu Sayyaf is a small gang of Islamic militants who have once received funding from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network. The group is on the US government's list of wanted foreign terrorist organisations, and is blamed for the kidnapping deaths of two Americans abducted in 2001.
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