Boy, 9, kidnapped in Basilan - PNP
ZAMBOANGA – Armed men yesterday kidnapped a nine-year-old boy on the troubled southern Philippine island of Basilan, police said.
Chester Gruta was on an errand to a local store when he was grabbed by gunmen on a motorcycle, Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani said.
“Police forces are searching for the victim. There is an operation going on,” Jabarani told reporters.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, although Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf gunmen are known to operate on Basilan.
There has been a rash of kidnappings in the south in recent weeks. Three teachers were seized by gunmen near Basilan last week, while Abu Sayyaf rebels have been holding hostage three workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross, including a Swiss national and an Italian, on nearby Jolo island since Jan. 15. – Roel Pareño
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