Wednesday, October 7, 2015

No report yet on whereabouts of Samal Island kidnap victims - AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 8): No report yet on whereabouts of Samal Island kidnap victims - AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it is still verifying information claiming that the three foreigners and one Filipina abducted by still unidentified men in Samal Island last Sept. 21 are now held captive somewhere in Sulu province.

"That report has been out for a week but our verification (conducted by AFP intelligence units) did not confirm that report," AFP spokesperson Col. Restituto Padilla said in Filipino.

Until the claims have been verified, he said the military cannot categorically state that the victims are in Sulu.

He added that the same holds true on reports claiming that the victims are still in Davao.

"The information that has been circling around on the location of the hostages to date remains unconfirmed and unvalidated until certain information that we are looking for exists, but at the moment, both the police and the AFP cannot make a categorical statement regarding the location of the kidnap victims," he said.

Kidnap victims identified as Canadians John Ridsel and Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and a still unidentified Filipina were abducted at a resort on Sept. 21 around 11:30 p.m.

Reports said the suspects were speaking in English and Filipino when they snatched the victims.

Two Japanese tourists tried to stop the bandits but failed. At the time of the raid, 30 or more foreigners were at the resort.

Joint forces from Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao Philippine Coast Guard and the 10th Infantry Division are now conducting pursuit operations.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=812668

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