Canadian abducted by Sayyaf?

A Canadian national who went missing in Davao del Sur Nov. 3 was reportedly kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf, but military officials doubted the story.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo identified the missing foreigner as Pierre Belanger, married to a Filipina and a resident of Barangay Lower Balutakay in Hagonoy town, Davao del Sur for the past 10 years.

A close friend of Belanger, identified as Boy Niebres of Digos City, claimed he received a telephone call from a man who introduced himself as an Abu Sayyaf member. The man demanded P5 million for the release of the Canadian, Niebres said.

He said the caller instructed him to relay their demand to Belanger’s brother Richard, a professor at Cor Jesus College in Digos City.

At Malacañang, President Arroyo expressed displeasure over the statement of anti-crime crusader Teresita Ang-See that kidnappings and other heinous crimes have worsened during the 10 months of her administration.

"I am sorry to hear that, but she (Ang-See) is a member of the National Anti-Crime Commission," the President said.

"I hope she will help us solve this problem," she added.

It was still unclear how Belanger was abducted.

"We still do not know who was behind the abduction, but initial reports suggest that there is a personal motive behind his disappearance," said Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Jesus Dureza.

Armed Forces vice chief Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim and Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu doubted that Belanger was seized by the Abu Sayyaf, saying the bandits have been on the run since July due to a relentless military offensive.

Calimlim and Cimatu held it likely that Belanger was snatched by a local kidnap-for-ransom group and tried to put the blame on the Abu Sayyaf.

"We don’t have any report indicating that the Canadian is in the custody of the Abu Sayyaf. They could be claiming to be Abu Sayyaf to threaten the family of the victim (and force them) to pay ransom," Cimatu said, adding that it is possible that the alleged kidnapping could have been stage-managed.

The Abu Sayyaf, listed by United States authorities as one of the world’s most notorious terrorist groups, still holds an American missionary couple and at least eight Filipino hostages in the island-province of Basilan.

Search and rescue operations for the captives were suspended on Thursday due to bad weather spawned by tropical storm "Nanang."

Meanwhile, six Abu Sayyaf gunmen and a Marine soldier were reported killed as fresh fighting broke out early yesterday morning in Saluping island off Sumisip town in Basilan.

Cimatu said a soldier who was wounded in the firefight was airlifted to a Southcom hospital in Zamboanga City.

Cimatu said two military helicopter gunships that provided air support to ground troops battling the Abu Sayyaf in Saluping island inflicted heavy casualty on the enemy.

"We could not yet determine the exact figure of casualties (on the Abu Sayyaf side). Fighting is still going on," Cimatu said. — Paolo Romero, Roel Pareño, Marichu Villanueva