Artist's sketches of Zambo kidnappers released

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – The city’s crisis management committee has released the artist’s sketches of three of the kidnappers of a Swiss-born Filipino who has been in captivity for almost three weeks now.

Mayor Celso Lobregat, who chairs the committee, released the sketches to solicit information from the public after police tracking teams failed to identify and locate the abductors of Charlie Rieth.

“We hope these (sketches) will spread so people will help us pinpoint or give information on their whereabouts and the eventual recovery of the victim,” Lobregat said.

Senior Superintendent Edwin Diocos, regional director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the sketches were made based on information provided by five witnesses.

The crisis management committee said one of the suspects, based on the sketches, had similarities with one of the kidnappers of Irish priest Michael Sinnott, who was seized in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur last Oct. 11 and freed after 31 days in captivity.

The committee said they could not ascertain if rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were involved in the kidnapping.

“We have not identified which group abducted Mr. Rieth,” Diocos said.

Lobregat said Rieth’s fate remains unknown, as there has been no proof of life since he was abducted last April 4 from his private beach resort in Barangay Patalon, 31 kilometers west of this city.

Lobregat said he has been talking with Rieth’s brother and closest friends who themselves were also inquiring about the kidnapping.