Manhunt on for Fil-Am teener's kidnappers

ZAMBOANGA CITY ,Philippines  – A manhunt for members of kidnapping syndicates here and in the province of Basilan will be launched following the escape of a Filipino-American hostage over the weekend.

A police official said they are just waiting for the release of the arrest warrants for the suspects.

“Once the warrants are released, relentless pursuit will be conducted in the area,” Senior Superintendent Felixberto Candado, head of Task Force Lunsmann said.

Police said the Abu Sayyaf under Puruji Indama was behind the kidnapping of 14-year-old Kevin Lunsmann, a Filipino-American from Virginia, his mother Gerfa Yeatts Lunsman and Filipino cousin Romnick Jakaria, 19, on July 12.

Gerfa was freed last Oct. 12 while Jakaria reportedly escaped on Nov. 12 in Maluso town in Basilan.

Lunsmann escaped from his captors Friday and was recovered by a village official near a river bank in Barangay Bulingan, Lamitan City Saturday after evading his kidnappers for two days.

Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar said the province will support authorities in their campaign against kidnappers who hide their victims in her province. She also urged police and military authorities to pursue the kidnappers of Lunsmann.

“Government authorities should run after these kidnappers and prosecute them to stop this kind of incident from happening,” Akbar said.

She said the operation should also unmask other criminal syndicates that have been putting the province in a bad light.

 The inter-agency peace and order council of Lamitan City led by Mayor Roderick Furigay, meanwhile, said it received reports that Lunsmann was held captive by bandits at the boundary of Ungkaya Pukan, Tipo-Tipo and Sampinit areas in Basilan.

Furigay said it was good that Lunsmann followed the downstream direction of the river from a forested area where he was held captive.

The river, according to Furigay, traverses barangays of mixed Muslim and Christian communities in Lamitan City, many of them armed and organized to fight the Abu Sayyaf. – With John Unson