Kidnapped Chinese trader in RP rescued after 19 months in Sayyaf captivity

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 6, 2010) – Police rescued a kidnapped Chinese trader after more than 19 months in Abu Sayyaf captivity in the southern Filipino province of Sulu, officials said Tuesday.

Xili Wu alias Peter Go, a native of Fujian province, was rescued late Monday after commandos clashed with militants in the town of Luuk, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf who has links with Jemaah Islamiya and al-Qaeda terror organizations, television reports quoting Senior Superintendent Elmer Escosia, the commander of police forces in Sulu, said.

Reports also quoted Escosia as saying that police clashed with the kidnappers in Lambago village at around 8.30 p.m. But attempts by other journalists to get more details about the rescue of Xili were rejected by Escosia for a still unknown reason.

But another police official confirmed that Xili was rescued by commandos and that the foreigner would be brought to Zamboanga City after authorities get information from the Chinese man about his captors led by Commander Saji.

Xili, one of five owners of an appliances store Perlas Trading in Jolo town, was kidnapped in December 2008 by militants. It was then that police discovered that Xili, 28-years old when kidnapped, is a Chinese citizen and so were his four other associates who all assumed Filipino names to be able to secure a business license and operate the store in Jolo.

Xili’s group had lived in Jolo since early 2008. His four business partners fled Jolo weeks after the kidnapping. Police had previously tagged Albader Parad for the kidnapping. Parad’s group originally demanded P25 million ransoms, but lowered this to P10 million for Xili’s safe release.

Parad - tagged as the mastermind of the kidnappings of three international Red Cross workers in Sulu in 2009 and behind for deadly terrorist attacks in the province - was one of six Abu Sayyaf leaders killed in military operations in February this year.

The Abu Sayyaf, which the police and military claimed has more than 300 gunmen, has been blamed for a string of high-profile kidnappings for ransom, including of Americans and Europeans. It's on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations with links to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sayyaf frees kidnapped Muslim school principal, but still holds to Chinese trader in the southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 16, 2008) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants have freed a kidnapped Muslim school principal, but are still holding a Chinese trader in the southern island of Sulu, police said Tuesday.

Police said the kidnappers released Kasim Pakkam late Monday in the village of Lanao Dakula in Parang town.

Pakkam, kidnapped on Dec. 12, was earlier identified by the police and military as Pakkam Hashim, the principal of Parang’s Kutah Sairap Elementary School.

Police said no ransom was paid for the safe release of Pakkam. It said the kidnapping was connected to family feud, but police could not say why the Abu Sayyaf had been dragged into the quarrel.

“Pakkam has been freed unharmed. He is okay and reunited with his family. We are still tracking down the other Chinese hostage, Xili Wu, who is still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf,” Senior Supt. Julasirim Kasim, the Sulu police chief, told the Mindanao Examiner.

Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a Wu as he was closing his electronics store in Jolo town at around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Unconfirmed reports said the kidnappers were demanding P10 million ransoms for Wu’s freedom, Kasim said, adding, the mayor of Jolo, Hussin Amin, has convened the crisis management committee, to tackle the kidnapping of the foreigner, who is a native of Fujian province in China.

Police said the 28-year old Wu was using the alias of Peter Go, who is staying in Jolo with four other Chinese nationals since December last year. Wu co-owns the Perlas Trading in downtown Jolo.

Authorities implicated Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad as behind Wu’s kidnapping.

Kasim said about four kidnappers; all clad in camouflage uniform and armed with automatic weapons, seized Wu after disarming his private security guards and dragged him to a waiting van in front of horrified civilians. Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, the Jolo police chief, said they are investigating how the foreigners were able to put up a business in Jolo.

The Abu Sayyaf group has been linked to the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks in the Philippines and is labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network and Jemaah Islamiya.

The Philippine government, aided by the US military, has deployed thousands of troops in the south in an effort to eradicate Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)

Chinese trader kidnapped by Sayyaf in Southern Philippines

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 14, 2008) – Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped a Chinese trader in Sulu province in the southern Philippines, police said Sunday.

Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, Sulu police chief, said at least four gunmen seized Peter Go, 28, as he was closing his electronics store in Jolo town at around 7 p.m. on Saturday.

“Initial reports pointed to Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad as behind the kidnapping of the Chinese trader, whose alias is Peter Go,” Kasim told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the kidnappers; all clad in camouflage uniform and armed with automatic weapons, and dragged the victim to a waiting van in front of horrified civilians.

Chief Inspector Usman Pingay, the Jolo police chief, said Go’s real name is Xili Wu, from the Chinese province of Fujian. He said police forces pursued the kidnappers, but lost them in Indanan town.

He said Li is one of five Chinese traders who own Perlas Trading in downtown Jolo.

“It was quick; the kidnappers disarmed the security guard of the store and grabbed Xili and sped away using a van, which was probably stolen. We are tracking down the kidnappers,” Pingay said.

He said the police are investigating how the Chinese nationals, who used aliases, were able to put up a business in Jolo town. He said the foreigners arrived in Jolo in December last year and since then operated the Perlas Trading.

The Abu Sayyaf on Friday also seized Pakkam Hashim, the principal of Kutah Sairap Elementary School in the village of Wanni Piyanjihan in Parang town also in Sulu, according to the military.

Army Lieutenant Steffani Cacho tagged Abu Sayyaf leader Gafur Jumdail as behind the kidnapping of Hashim. The motive of the kidnapping is still unknown, she said.

“As far as we know the Abu Sayyaf is behind both kidnappings,” Cacho said.

Authorities tagged the Abu Sayyaf group as behind the spate of kidnappings and bomb attacks across Mindanao.

The Abu Sayyaf, which means “The Bearer of the Sword,” has been labeled a terrorist organization by both Manila and Washington, and is believed by the US to have links with the al-Qaeda terror network.

The Philippine government, aided by the US military, has deployed thousands of troops in the south in an effort to eradicate Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)