Kidnapped tugboat engineer rescued
The Roro 9 tugboat chief engineer who was kidnapped last week by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) was rescued by joint forces of the military, police and local government in Basilan on Monday night.
The kidnap victim, Laurencio Tiro, was found at the shoreline of Sitio Sasa. Barangay Basakan, Hadji Mahammad Ajul, at about 10:30 p.m. Monday night.
Armed Forces of the PhilippinesWestern Mindanao Command (AFPWestMinCom) Spokeswoman Captain Jo-Ann D. Petinglay, said the rescue came after four days of search and rescue operations by members of Joint Task Force Basilan, the local government and local police.
The bandit group reportedly left their victim due to the intense military pressure against them.
Tiro was kidnapped along with Aurelio Agac-ac, the boat captain of Super Shuttle T/B 1 of the Asian Marine Transport, from their vessel last March 23, at the seawaters off Sibago Island, Basilan by a group of armed men suspected to be members of the ASG/ kidnap-for-ransom group.
In a statement AFP Western Mindanao Command chief Major General Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said terrorism and violent extremism, including kidnapping for ransom and other capital crimes have no place in civilized society.
He said that kidnapping activities will not thrive in Basilan where the military, police, local government executives, and the communities are united with their common resolve to deny sanctuary or support to misfits and terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf.
"The recent case of rescue and recovery of Mr. Agac-ac and Mr. Tiro from the clutches of the terrorist ASG is the success of a military-political-social approach in thwarting violent extremism and criminality from establishing foot holds in our communities," Galvez said.
Engineer Tiro was immediately escorted to the headquarters of 19th Special Forces Company in Barangay Dancalan, Lamitan City where a medical team was waiting. He was then brought at the headquarters of the Western Mindanao at 6:30 a.m.Tuesday.
From there, Tiro underwent thorough medical check-up at Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City and was transported back to his family.