Abducted Fil-Chinese student outruns kidnappers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The abducted Filipino-Chinese engineering student escaped from his captors in Zamboanga del Sur province on Friday afternoon, police said Saturday.

Stephen Mago Tan, 19, was recovered by the police led by Diplahan Mayor Cris Jore from a shanty area in Barangay Little Baguio, Imelda town at about 5:15 p.m.

Tan was snatched by three unidentified gunmen on Thursday night in Pagadian City.

The victim was brought to the office of the mayor for debriefing and medical check-up while a joint team of police and military forces were dispatched to pursue the student's kidnappers.

Police said that Tan escaped from his captors at around 1:30 p.m. on Friday while they were trekking in a forested in Diplahan town. Investigators said that Tan was able to jump off a cliff and dash to a grassy area of the forest and eventually escaped.

Police said that according to Tan, his captors attempted to recover him but he was able to outrun them. Tan went to the shanty area and asked for assistance from the local officials.

The rescued victim was reunited with his family on Friday night in Pagadian City.