Asia-Pacific News

Four-year-old boy abducted in southern Philippines

Jun 26, 2009, 3:08 GMT

Manila - The 4-year-old son of a Filipino-Chinese trader was abducted by unidentified suspects in the southern Philippines, local and military officials said Friday. Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce, an army spokesman, said the boy was on his way home from school on Thursday when he was forcibly taken by four suspects in Cotabato City, 960 kilometres south of Manila. Ponce said the victim was on board a private vehicle, which the suspects blocked. 'Joint police and military elements are tracking the abductors,' he said. Cotabato City Mayor Muslimen Sema said one suspect in the kidnapping has been arrested, but he declined to give more details to avoid jeopardising pursuit operations. 'The suspects and their allies are already known,' he said. 'This will greatly affect their operations.' Sema said the suspects belonged to a kidnap-for-ransom syndicate that was behind the separate abductions of three Filipino-Chinese people in the city and nearby areas since February. The three captives were eventually freed unharmed after their families allegedly paid large ransoms to the kidnappers.

Asia-Pacific News

Four-year-old boy abducted in southern Philippines

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