Cops rescue 2 kidnapped telecom workers in Basilan

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police forces rescued two sub-contractors of Globe Telecom after police commandos stormed Friday night the kidnappers’ hideout in a village of Mohammad Adjul, according to officials.

Lt. Gen. Nelson Allaga, Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief said hostages Pilardo Tolentino and Jason Constancia were unharmed when the police forces backed up by the Marines assaulted about 9:15 p.m. the hideout of the kidnappers at sitio Bessey, Barangay Tuburan, Mohammad Adjul.

Mohammad Adjul is a newly created town borne out of Tuburan municipality.

Basilan provincial police director Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar said they have decided to launch the rescue following the ultimatum imposed by the kidnappers for the victims’ families and Globe to secure the P3-million ransom not later than yesterday.

Macapantar said, following surveillance in the area, an advanced police company deployed in the site backed up by the Marines monitored each of the captives were only guarded two each by their abductors.

“So we moved in and assaulted the kidnappers,” Macapantar said.

He said the joint police and Marines delivered volume of fires toward the position of the hostages’ guards positioned 20 meters away.

The two hostages whose hands were chained ran toward the direction of the assaulting government securities who were shouting “these are police forces.”

The rattled kidnappers sprinted after a brief firefight and escaped, according to Macapantar as police secured the rescued victims.

Tolentino and Constancia, sub-contracted by the Globe Telecom to inspect all the cell sites in the area of Tuburan along with nine others, were forcibly taken by the group of Usman Lidjal, a lost command leader, in Barangay Languyan on Wednesday.

Macapantar presented the hostages to Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar during a simple ceremony.

Further, the police and Marines have been monitoring the exact whereabouts of another hostaged female nurse who was spotted in Barangay Candiis, Tuburan.