Businessman, daughter abducted in southern Philippines
Manila - A Filipino-Chinese businessman and his 10-year-old daughter were abducted by unidentified gunmen who exchanged fire with police during their getaway in a southern Philippine city, police said Thursday.
Wilson Tan, 50, and his daughter Jennifer were seized at gunpoint Wednesday from their house in Cotabato City, 960 kilometres south of Manila, said Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane, the city police director.
Police officers chased the kidnappers after they forced the father and daughter into a get-away vehicle, Dangane said.
A firefight erupted between the officers and the gunmen but the kidnappers were able to flee and later burned the get-away vehicle before they boarded a pumpboat, the superintendent said.
Dangane said the kidnappers were believed to be headed to Kabuntalan town in nearby Maguindanao province. He said pursuit operations were ongoing to locate the kidnappers and rescue the hostages.
The kidnapping was the latest in a series of abductions in the southern region of Mindanao since last month.
On Jolo island, three staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross have been held captive by al-Qaeda-linked Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels since January 15.
In nearby Basilan province, a Sri Lankan peace advocate, three Filipino teachers and a 9-year-old boy have also been abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels since last month. (dpa)