Kidnappers free 3 tugboat men in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – Unidentified gunmen freed their three hostage Filipino sailors after holding them captive for 28 days for ransom in the mountains of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, according to police.

The kidnappers, believed to be lost command rebels, released unharmed Friday afternoon Capt. Felipe Miranda, chief mate Cecilio Layasan, and chief engineer Radsie Magtanong of M/T Marinero, according to Senior Superintendent Rolando Puruganan, deputy commander of the police Directorate of Integrated Police Operation, Western Mindanao.

Puruganan said the kidnappers released the victims somewhere in the vicinity of Sinurupan, a mountain border of Siocon near Sirawai town about 4 p.m. and walked their way to freedom until authorities found them in an abandoned nipa hut.

The police could not immediately say if ransom was paid in exchange for the victims’ release as the kidnappers were directly negotiating with the company of the hostages.

But military and police intelligence reports earlier revealed the kidnappers demanded P60 million ransom for the freedom of the three victims who were seized on Nov. 21 on board their tugboat while sheltering at Siocon Bay.

The victims were immediately brought to this city by the DIPO and placed them under debriefing in the headquarters before they were flown to Cebu and reunited with their families.

In a press briefing they narrated how the kidnappers treated them in the 28 days of captivity where they were kept in a thatch to sleep and eat only.

“We were given rice and ‘patis’ (fish sauce) to eat,” Miranda said.

According to Miranda, they have been blindfolded always, or if not the kidnappers were using hoods to conceal their identities.

He said the kidnappers were communicating with the management and kept on calling for the negotiation.

However, Miranda said he was not sure if ransom was discussed during the series of calls to negotiate for their release.

“For us, we kept on pleading to them to free us because we have no money to pay ransom. Perhaps, our pleadings convinced them to free us when they finally told us we can now walk because we are freed,” Miranda said.