MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Gunmen in the
restive southern Philippines abducted Swiss and Dutch tourists and a Filipino
bird photographer Wednesday and took the trio away by boat, authorities said.
They were the latest kidnap victims in an
impoverished region infested with al-Qaida-linked militants and criminal gangs
that often seek ransom for their foreign hostages.
The tourists were snatched along with their
Filipino companion by an armed group in the southernmost Tawi-Tawi island
province and dragged to a waiting boat, military spokesman Lt. Col. Randolph
Cabangbang said.
The Filipino man later jumped out of the boat
and was rescued by fishermen, a local governor said.
The tourists were identified as Dutch Ewold
Horn and Swiss Lorenzo Vinciguerra, and they had been visiting the region to
photograph wildlife.
The Dutch Embassy in Manila confirmed the
kidnapping and said it was working on the case. Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry
said the Swiss Embassy in Manila was in contact with Philippine authorities and
working to secure the hostages’ release in good health.
Cabangbang said the abduction happened in
Parangan village in the township of Panglima Sugala, in the remote islands that
make up the province.
The southern Philippines is considered unsafe
for foreign visitors and governments have put up advisories against travel in
the region. Tawi-Tawi is home to small islands known as Turtle Islands, which
are close to Malaysian waters.
Tawi-Tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali told The
Associated Press by telephone that the tourists, Filipino bird photographer
Ivan Sarenas and their boat skipper were accompanied by a town council member
and an unarmed police officer because the foreigners refused armed escorts,
Sahali added.
He said the group was overpowered by the five
gunmen.
“It has been our practice that we secure
Caucasian visitors,” he said. “Next time, if there will be a next time, I will
not allow them (foreigners) to go around without armed escorts.”
The gunmen ordered the councilman, the police
officer and the boat skipper to jump out of the boat before escaping with the
three captives, Sahali said.
He said Sarenas later escaped by jumping off
the boat. He was rescued by fishermen and brought to the police in Languyan
township.
Sahali said the tourists had arrived about 10
days earlier and stayed most of the time in the mountains to photograph rare
birds. They were scheduled to leave Thursday.
Authorities have no suspects and no ransom
demand has been made, Sahali said.
He said about two dozen policemen earlier
headed to a southern village of Tawi-Tawi, where the foreigners were reported
to have been sighted. The military and police cordoned off the area, while
marines were mobilized to help in the rescue.
But it turned out the gunmen fled toward
northern Languyan township, he added.
Muslim rebels have been fighting for minority
self-rule in the predominantly Christian nation’s south for decades. The most
violent group, al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf, has been notorious for terrorist
attacks and kidnappings for ransom.
Cabangbang said Abu Sayyaf has been active in
Tawi-Tawi, coming from their strongholds in nearby Basilan and Jolo islands.
The militants are believed to be holding a
former Australian soldier who was kidnapped before Christmas. In January, a
video surfaced of him pleading for his life and urging the Philippines and
Australia to raise a $2 million ransom being demanded by his captors.
AP
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