Attack on Basilan trader linked to abduction

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A Chinese businessman was shot and wounded by two men who barged into his bakery in Isabela City, Basilan Monday night, authorities said.

Police suspect that the attack could be part of the threat of the Abu Sayyaf to pressure the family of the victim, Cheng Yi Cung Tan, 27, to heed its ransom demand for two other Chinese nationals held captive in Basilan.

Senior Superintendent Antonio Mendoza, Basilan police director, said the two gunmen barged into the bakery of Cheng along JS Alano Street at around 7:15 p.m. Monday and shot him in the elbow with a caliber .45 pistol.

Cheng is the son of Jorge Tan, operator of Hi-Tech Plywood Corp. which employs the two Chinese captives – Bo Shung Tan alias Michael Tan and Zi Shun Lu alias Oscar Lu.

The two Chinese nationals have been held captive by the Abu Sayyaf for almost three months now.

Police said the bakery’s security guard quickly responded and drew his pistol but it misfired, giving the attackers a chance to escape.

Responding lawmen later recovered the gunmen’s getaway motorcycle.

Mendoza quoted probers as saying that father and son have no known enemies, except that Tan is the employer of the two Chinese captives.

“It could be part of the threat of the kidnappers to pressure (Tan),” Mendoza said.

The two Chinese nationals were abducted along with another worker, Filipino Mark Singson, last Nov. 10 in Maluso town.

Singson, however, was beheaded after Tan failed to pay P1.5 million as initial ransom payment.

Mendoza said police and Marines have launched a rescue operation after the Basilan Crisis Management Committee gave the go-signal.