Abu bandits kidnap Sulu engineer

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits snatched a district engineer in Sulu yesterday.

Enrico Nee of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Sulu first district engineering office was taken at around 7:45 a.m. near his house in Barangay Kasalamatan, Jolo, Senior Superintendent Mario Buyucan of the Sulu police said.

Nee was waiting for a tricycle some 20 meters away from his house and around 15 meters away from a police outpost when he was taken at gunpoint.

“The suspects forced the victim into their vehicle that sped toward Barangay Anuling, Patikul,” Buyucan said.

Police units in Jolo conducted pursuit operations while the military set up checkpoints to prevent the suspects from escaping.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said the getaway vehicle of the suspects has been recovered.

“We will not stop…until the victim and all other kidnap victims of the Abu Sayyaf are safely recovered,” Sobejana said.

He sought the cooperation of concerned local government units and residents to rescue the hostages.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding a Dutch man, three Indonesians, a Vietnamese and four other Filipinos in the mountains of Sulu.

3 surrender, 1 held

In Basilan, three Abu Sayyaf bandits surrendered to the military in Tipo-Tipo town on Tuesday.

Karim Abubakar, Jimboy Abubakar Aldam and Imran Arajan Abdulajidz turned over two rifles – an M16 and a Garand – to personnel of the 4th Special Forces Battalion in Barangay Banah, Brig. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Joint Task Force Basilan commander, said.

The bandits are followers of sub-leader Nurhassan Jamiri.

The military said 177 bandits have surrendered in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi since last year.

Rocco Haman, with aliases of Ruco Isdad and Hamador Hadjula, and tagged in the kidnapping of Golden Harvest Plantation workers in Lantawan, Basilan in 2001, was arrested in this city on Tuesday.

The arrest was based on warrants for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Basilan Regional Trial Court Branch 1 Judge Leo Jay Principe.

Haman is the 10th Abu Sayyaf bandit arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Golden Harvest workers since January.