Abus free school principal

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Abu Sayyaf militants released unharmed an elementary school principal they had held captive for three days, in a village in Sumisip town, Basilan on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Police said Benita Enriquez Latonio, 60, principal of the Manggal Elementary School in Sumisip, was freed in Sitio Mompol, Barangay Libug at around 5 p.m. Thursday following negotiations by municipal and barangay officials with her captors led by one Juhaibel Alamsirul, alias Abu Kik.

Barangay officials, accompanied by municipal social workers, fetched Latonio on a military vehicle and then brought her to a hospital in Isabela City for medical checkup.

Police said Latonio appeared weak and could barely walk, as she had to walk, after her release, to Barangay Libug, where she was also snatched last Monday.

Latonio said she was fed and treated well by her captors during her three-day captivity.

“I was not harmed and they treated me well,” she said.

Police and the military could not say if money changed hands for Latonio’s release. Her captors earlier had demanded P3-million ransom.

Latonio, together with a group of teachers, was on board a passenger jeepney when she was seized.

In an interview with a local radio station, Latonio said she was kidnapped as reprisal for the failure of authorities to free Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters from Basilan who surrendered at the height of the siege in Zamboanga City last September.

Latonio said her captors wanted the MNLF’s Basilan group released since they did not directly participate in the 23-day siege. 

At least 24 of the Basilan-based MNLF rebels were supposed to reinforce the Sulu-based MNLF group led by Habier Malik, but decided to give themselves up following negotiations with police authorities.

The surrenderers, however, were detained along with 300 others who were captured and charged with rebellion and violation of humanitarian law, genocide and other crimes against humanity along with MNLF founder Nur Misuari, who remains at large.