Kidnap victim in Sulu feared dead

From ABS-CBN (Jun 20): Kidnap victim in Sulu feared dead

A Zamboangueno kidnap victim is feared dead after he was shot during a gunfight between members of the Abu Sayyaf Group and the military on Thursday.

Analiza Lingayan, wife of abducted Remigio Lingayan, told ABS-CBN Zamboanga that her husband called her on Thursday night and informed her that he was hurt by a bullet while his companion, 33-year-old Joselito Gonzales, was shot in the chest.

Lingayan, 50, was seen falling down on the ground amid their escape during the firefight. He was never seen again after the incident.

Analiza said the abductors nonetheless were relentless in reminding them of the ransom money due at the end of the month.

She appealed to the kidnappers to release her husband and Gonzales, as they are not capable of raising P3 million as ransom.

Lingayan and Gonzales, residents of Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City, were abducted in Maimbung, Sulu two weeks ago. They work as plumbers in a construction company.

According to Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabel Climaco, the condition of the two victims is still being verified.

Climaco, who talked to the victims' families in an undisclosed venue on Thursday, said she has coordinated with the Philippine Marines in Sulu to confirm the reports and to locate their whereabouts.

She also appealed to the kidnappers to release the two, saying that the financial status of their families should also be taken into consideration.

In the houses of the victims' families, a donation box was placed to solicit money to help pay for the ransom.

But according to Analiza, it is impossible for them to raise the amount in only 10 days.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/20/14/kidnap-victim-sulu-feared-dead