Taiwanese trader shot in Zamboanga returns home

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 10, 2010) – A Taiwanese trader who was shot and wounded after resisting kidnappers in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines have returned to his country.

Lai Jung-fa, 30, who buys and sells marine products in Zamboanga City, was shot several times after he resisted three gunmen who barged last week inside his trading store in the village of Baliwasan. The attackers fled by motor boat after the shooting.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the trader returned to Kaohsiung City on Tuesday for continued medical treatment.

It said Lai's relatives rushed to Zamboanga and made arrangements for him to return to Taiwan. The local police have released a sketch of one of the three gunmen and said that security forces were deployed to track down the attackers.

It was unknown if the gunmen are members of the Abu Sayyaf or other rebel groups, but kidnappings-for-ransom are common occurrence in the southern Philippines.

On Monday, gunmen also shot and wounded a Chinese trader, Huang Xiangyang, 35, in an attack in Tagum City also in the southern Philippines. The victim and his Filipino wife were returning home onboard a motorcycle taxi when the gunmen opened fire after grabbing the couple’s bag. The attack killed the cabbie, the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, reported.

Several countries, including the United States, have warned their citizens not to travel to the southern Philippines because of threats of terrorism. (Mindanao Examiner)