Friday, December 18, 2009

Kidnappers free 3 tugboat crew in Zamboanga province

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / December 18, 2009) – Suspected Moro rebels have freed Friday three kidnapped crew members of a tugboat after four weeks in captivity in the southern Philippines.

The three men - Captain Felipe Miranda, Cecilio Layasan and Radsie Magtanong – are in police custody after being freed near Zamboanga City. The trio was kidnapped at sea on November 21 while sheltering from a storm in Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province.

Police did not give any details about the men or whether ransom was paid in exchange for their freedom, but the kidnappers, who were believed members of the Moro National Liberation Front previously demand at least five million pesos for the release of the hostages.

The three men were working for the Cebu-based Cebu Barge and Tug Inc. They were pulling a barge and heading to Dapitan City when gunmen on several speedboats hijacked their tugboat and seized them. (Mindanao Examiner)

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