Filipino Bandits Free Interpreter, Still Hold Chinese HostageThe Filipino Muslim bandit group "Pentagon" has released a Filipino-Chinese interpreter, but still holds a Chinese national as hostage, a government official said on Thursday.The interpreter, Edwin Lim, was set free late Wednesday night in the southern town of Kabacan after local government officials negotiated with the bandits, a ABS-CBN on-line report quoted official Jesus Dureza as saying. Dureza was once involved in negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a major rebel group in southern Philippines. "Pentagon" is a little known bandit group whose members were allegedly former MILF guerrillas. Zhang Zhongyi, a Chinese national, was still held by the kidnap-for-ransom group. Zhang, his interpreter Lim and another two co-workers were kidnapped in Minsanao in early August when they tried to negotiate the release of Zhang Zhongqiang, a contractor at a Japan-funded irrigation project in Mindanao Island who was abducted on June 20 by these bandits. Lim was presented to the media Thursday morning, and Dureza denied reports that Lim was released after ransom was paid. Officials here said they will continue negotiation to secure the early release of Zhang Zhongyi. |
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