ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 08, 2009) – A kidnapped Filipino midwife escaped from his captors in Basilan province in southern Philippines, where suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen are also holding three government teachers abducted in Zamboanga City, officials said Sunday.
Eleazar Gumera, who works for the Lamitan City Health Office, escaped at around 10 p.m. in Tuburan town after pretending to urinate, said Army Lt. Steffani Cacho, a regional military spokeswoman.
“He slipped away from his captors by pretending to answer the call of nature and ran away when he had the chance,” Cacho said.
But conflicting military reports from Basilan province said Gumera escaped after his captors were alarmed by the presence of soldiers near them and that the victim had walked for hours and swam to sea after seeing navy ships in the middle of the night.
The reports said a passing motorboat picked up Gumera and brought him to the village of Bato where he sought help. Village officials who learned about Gumera’s daring escape brought him Sunday morning to Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay.
The 45-year old victim was reported missing January 28 after he went to the village of Parangbasak in Lamitan town to help deliver a baby.
Although no group claimed responsibility for Gumera’s kidnapping, but authorities suspect the Abu Sayyaf could be behind it. The group is still holding a trader Eliseo Hablo and three government teachers Freires Quizon, Janette delos Reyes and Rafael Mayorada – all kidnapped in Zamboanga City and brought by boat to Basilan island.
Kidnappers are also holding captive Chester Gruta, 9, who was snatched February 1 in Lamitan City, and Leah Patris who was seized February 3 in Sumisip town.
Last week, a kidnapped victim Ahmad Ilang, Patris’ companion, was released by his captors, but the military insisted that he was rescued in Maluso town. Ilang and Patris were employees of the lending firm called Kasanyangan Foundation Inc. (Mindanao Examiner)
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