 |
Philippine Kidnappers Threaten to Behead Chinese Hostage
A kidnap-for-ransom group threatened on Tuesday to behead the remaining Chinese hostages if the military continues pursuit operations in the southern Philippine province of Sultan Kudarat, a TV station reported.
Bandit leader Abu Hamsa said his group will kill the Chinese hostage, Zhang Zhongyi, together with a local Filipino Chinese businessman, Edwin Lim, if the government would not stop the operations and produce the ransom money, the ABS-CBN news channel reported.
Presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao and Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Edilberto Adan both said on Monday that pursuit operations against the kidnappers will continue to rescue the two men despite the fact that two of the four Chinese hostages were killed Sunday during an encounter between their captors and the pursuing government forces.
However, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Lauro Baja disclosed Tuesday in an interview with dzMM radio that the military was not supposed to be involved in the government action on the kidnapping case of Chinese nationals in the south.
Baja said that during the annual bilateral consultation held in Manila last week, Philippine National Police chief Leandro Mendoza assured Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi that "the safety of the hostages is the priority and that there will be no military operation to rescue them, which will endanger their lives."
Baja said they will "tell them (China) what really happened after we receive an accurate report from the military."
According to the military, government soldiers engaged about 60 kidnap gang members on Sunday morning in Colombio town in Sultan Kudarat. During the gunbattle, two of the Chinese hostages, Zhang Zhongqiang and Xue Xing, tried to flee but were immediately shot dead by their captors while a third, Wang Shengli, managed to escape and was recovered.
Zhang Zhongqiang was kidnapped on June 20 in Sultan Kudarat's neighboring province of Maguindanao. His brother Zhang Zhongyi, Xue and Wang, together with Lim, were seized on August 12 while reportedly delivering ransom money for the release of Zhang Zhongqiang.
The four Chinese nationals are employees of the China Electric Power Technology Import and Export Corp. working on an irrigation project in North Cotabato province.
The kidnappers had demanded US$10 million for their release, but it was rejected by the Chinese and Philippine governments.
Rescued Chinese Hostage Arrives in Manila Chinese national Wang Shengli who was rescued from his captors by the military in the southern Philippines was flown to Manila Tuesday.
On the same commercial flight were two coffins containing the remains of Wang's colleagues, Zhang Zhongqiang and Xue Xing, who were killed during an encounter between their captors and government soldiers in the province of Sultan Kudarat on Sunday.
Wang was immediately whisked away under the escort of Chinese embassy officials upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Wang was kidnapped along with Zhang Zhongqiang's brother Zhang Zhongyi, Xue and Filipino Chinese businessman Edwin Lim in the Maguindanao province on August 12 while trying to secure the release of Zhang Zhongqiang, who was kidnapped by the bandits on June 20.
The four Chinese nationals were among some 60 employees of the China Electric Power Technology Import and Export Corp. working on an irrigation project in the North Cotabato province.
Wang managed to escape and was recovered by government soldiers during Sunday's encounter, but Zhang Zhongqiang and Xue were gunned down by the kidnappers while running towards the government troops, the military said. Wang sustained superficial gunshot wounds.
The military said Monday that pursuit operations against the kidnappers, reportedly led by certain Tahir Alonto and Abu Hamsa, will continue to rescue Zhang Zhongyi and Lim.
Earlier Tuesday, the kidnappers reportedly threatened to behead the remaining hostages if the military would not stop pursuit operations in Sultan Kudarat and produce the ransom money.
The Chinese and Philippine governments have rejected their demand for 10 million U.S. dollars for the release of the hostages.
Expressing great shock and deep pain at the deaths of the two hostages, the Chinese embassy in Manila has demanded that the Philippine government take all necessary measures to safeguard the lives of the hostages still alive and those of all Chinese citizens working or living in the Philippines.
In This Section
|