Vice mayor, teacher freed

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines   â€“ Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants yesterday freed a public school teacher they held captive overnight in Patikul, Sulu, while a Basilan town vice mayor seized in a mall here last Tuesday was released the following day, authorities said.

The release of Vice Mayor Arsina Nanoh, 20, of Hadji Mutamad town in Basilan, however, left police puzzled, as they had no details how and where she was freed.

Nanoh is engaged in the buy and sell of gold and jewelry. She was reportedly carrying P300,000 worth of jewelry and P50,000 cash when accosted in a mall in this city’s downtown area last Tuesday afternoon.

Nanoh’s husband, according to the Anti-Kidnapping Group, merely called them up to inform them that his wife was back and that they were leaving for Manila last Wednesday afternoon.

Nanoh’s husband was the one who reported her kidnapping to the police and even showed text messages from her captors.

Superintendent Diomarie Albarico said closed-circuit television footage showed Nanoh going out of the mall with her husband, but there was no footage of her returning.

Capt. Ryan Lacuesta, spokesman of the 2nd Marine Brigade based in Busbus, Jolo, said Alrashid Jahang, a teacher of Taglibi Elementary School in Patikul, was released at around 9 a.m. yesterday.

Lacuesta said Jahang was freed due to the efforts of local officials and his relatives who negotiated with his captors, although there is word if ransom was paid.

Jahang was riding his motorcycle on his way back to Jolo town when he was flagged down on Wednesday afternoon by 11 Abu Sayyaf militants led by Aljini Mundoc, alias Ninok Sapari, in Barangay Liang, Patikul town. 

Mundoc’s group has been tagged in a number of kidnappings in Sulu, according to the military. 

Despite Jahang’s release, Lacuesta said Marines and police forces are continuing their pursuit operations against the kidnappers of two children aged eight and 10 who were seized along with their maid and family driver in Sulu last Monday. 

Authorities said the children’s family was initiating contacts with the kidnappers to negotiate their safe release.