Mindanao: Army and rebels collaborate to foil kidnapping
Government troops and hundreds of Muslim rebels of the MILF collaborated to free a couple of teachers kidnapped in the south of the Philippines.
Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) Thanks to a rare collaboration effort, the Filipino army and guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have freed Felipe Lacunies and his wife, Helen. The couple was kidnapped on Friday by an unknown gang in the south of the country.
General Ben Dolorfino, who led the operation, confirmed the news that the couple had been found by a guerrilla group in Piagapo in the southern province of Lanao del Sur. The MILF militants, after finding the couple in a hut, handed them over to the regular army which in the meantime had surrounded the area to prevent the kidnappers' escape.
Gen. Dolorfino said the abductors had demanded a ransom for the two teachers but they were forced to flee because of the overwhelming military and rebel presence in the area. The general expressed satisfaction for the success of the operation, emphasizing that the rescue came about thanks to the close collaboration between the police, army and MILF militants.
Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said that with this gesture, the guerrillas wanted to demonstrate with facts that they desired lasting peace and were ready to collaborate with the central government to attain it.
The MILF has fought against the government for 40 years to wrest autonomy for the Muslim minority of the Philippines. In recent years, armed clashes have decreased noticeably thanks to peace talks with the Manila government.
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23/02/2022 16:43
