COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 21, 2008) – Police forces mounted fresh operation Tuesday to capture gunmen who freed a kidnapped university official in the restive region of Mindanao, south of Manila, officials said.
Gunmen released Hipolito Minoza to Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic on Monday afternoon after a series of negotiations. No ransom was paid for the safe release of the hostage, who was kidnapped Oct. 16 while driving his car near Saguiraran town in Lanao del Sur, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.
Minoza is the budget officer of the Mindanao State University.
Details of the negotiations were unknown or who were behind the kidnapping, but military authorities have implicated Abdurahman Macapaar, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front tagged as behind a series of deadly attacks in the region in recent weeks.
“Police forces are now tracking down the kidnappers,” Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, the regional police commander, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Jabarani said three kidnappers had already been captured by police forces. He said police is investigating reports of Macapaar’s involvement in the kidnapping.
The MILF has strongly denied that Macapaar’s group was involved in the kidnapping, saying, it could be connected to Minoza’s job.
“Macapaar has no involvement in that kidnapping. Authorities should investigate deeply the motive of Minoza’s kidnapping and it could be related to his job as budget officer of MSU,” said Eid kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for self-determination in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)
Gunmen released Hipolito Minoza to Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic on Monday afternoon after a series of negotiations. No ransom was paid for the safe release of the hostage, who was kidnapped Oct. 16 while driving his car near Saguiraran town in Lanao del Sur, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.
Minoza is the budget officer of the Mindanao State University.
Details of the negotiations were unknown or who were behind the kidnapping, but military authorities have implicated Abdurahman Macapaar, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front tagged as behind a series of deadly attacks in the region in recent weeks.
“Police forces are now tracking down the kidnappers,” Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, the regional police commander, told the Mindanao Examiner.
Jabarani said three kidnappers had already been captured by police forces. He said police is investigating reports of Macapaar’s involvement in the kidnapping.
The MILF has strongly denied that Macapaar’s group was involved in the kidnapping, saying, it could be connected to Minoza’s job.
“Macapaar has no involvement in that kidnapping. Authorities should investigate deeply the motive of Minoza’s kidnapping and it could be related to his job as budget officer of MSU,” said Eid kabalu, a senior MILF leader.
The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for self-determination in the troubled, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. (With a report from Merlyn Manos)
