1 of 5 abducted workers in Basilan freed

MANILA, Philippines - One of the five workers earlier abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan province has already been released, a military official said Thursday night. The victim, identified as Ronie Tansiyung, was released 7 p.m. and is currently in the custody of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Sinulatan village, according to Lt. Col. Leonard Teodoro, commanding officer of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 7. “The four remaining hostages are still with the abductors,” Teodoro said. The victims, all workers of the Basilan Electric Cooperative, were abducted near Sinulatan village in Tuburan town, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf. No group claimed responsibility for the abduction, although police and military blamed the Abu Sayyaf group. Last week, another faction of the Abu Sayyaf were alleged to have kidnapped an ABS-CBN television presenter Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including a Muslim university professor Octavio Dinampo in nearby Sulu province. The four, kidnapped June 8, were later freed. Police also arrested Sulu town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider after implicating them in the kidnapping. They were also accused of pocketing up to P3 million from the P5-million ransom payment, but the mayor - who was handpicked by the kidnap group to negotiate for the release of the hostages - denied the allegations. Thousands of troops are now hunting down about three dozen people involved in the kidnapping. The United States has offered as much as $5 million bounty each for known leaders of the Abu Sayyaf. - GMANews.TV