Government urged to check MILF's role in kidnap of Chinese businesswoman

COTABATO CITY , Philippines  – Authorities yesterday called on the government ceasefire committee to look into the reported involvement of two ranking commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the abduction and nine-day captivity of a local Chinese businesswoman.

The victim, Jinkee Lim Yap, owner of a small grocery store along Sinsuat Avenue here, was set free by her captors in an isolated district in Datu Piang, Maguindanao Sunday dawn after his family paid an undetermined amount of ransom through an emissary.

Local officials in Maguin­danao and sources from the police’s intelligence community said they have feedback from barangay officials in Datu Piang that the captors of Yap are followers of Commanders Adzmi and Talyo, who both belong to the MILF.

Yap was reportedly “passed on” to the two commanders by the five gunmen that snatched her while at the pay counter of her store three days after her abduction.

Cotabato City Mayor Jiapal Guiani Jr., chairman of the city peace and order council, told reporters it was for the pressure the police and military exerted on the kidnappers that they set Yap free.

The police said it has confirmed that the family of Yap paid ransom in exchange for her release.

The kidnappers have earlier asked for a P15-million ransom for Yap, but lowered it last week to P500,000 after learning she is not as wealthy as they had earlier thought.

Senior Superintendent. Danny Reyes, director of the Cotabato City police, said it is up to the government’s ceasefire committee to bring to the MILF’s attention the alleged involvement of two of its commanders in the kidnapping of Yap.