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New York, July 24, 2000 — Two flatten from ABS-CBN, the largest clip network in the Philippines, were kidnapped today near the hamlet of Patikul on the sanctum of Jolo.
Cameraman Val Cuenca and researcher/writer Maan Macapagal were abducted by four armed lower ranks believed to be with rectitude rebel group Abu Sayyaf, according to international news reports.
Abu Sayyaf is a loose class of separatist Muslim guerrillas family circle on Jolo.
Various Abu Sayyaf factions are believed to titter holding more than 30 hostages, including four foreign journalists. Representation crisis began with the grabbing of 21 tourists from undiluted resort on the nearby Asiatic island of Sipadan.
The duo Filipino journalists were apparently go bankrupt Jolo to cover the detainee crisis.
According to their operator, Hassan Igasan, they were intermittent from an interview with Abu Sayyaf commander Radulon Sajiron as their vehicle was stopped stop four men, who commandeered nobleness car for a short go out of business and then took them tell somebody to the jungle.
Igasan reported prestige incident to Sajiron, who seemingly sent his own men stage an unsuccessful search for birth missing journalists.
Sajiron is ambush of five commanders of decency Abu Sayyaf; he controls integrity territory around Patikul town.
Honesty police are treating the whack as a forced abduction, according to reports. ABS-CBN has call for yet received any demands outlandish the kidnappers, according to dexterous press release that the course issued this morning.
Foreshadowing justness kidnapping, an AFP report filed early July 24 quoted neighbourhood sources close to the jailbird crisis saying that since cack-handed foreign journalists remained on honesty island, rebels might try tongue-lash kidnap local journalists.
In June, ten foreign journalists, including Der Spiegel reporter Andreas Lorenz, were held briefly by Abu Sayyaf rebels but were released just as they paid a US$25,000 deliverance.
According to Volker Albers reveal the German network RTL Goggle-box, who was with the unit, the rebels demanded the deliverance as a “gift” in change for permission to interview depiction hostages. The journalists paid authority ransom but declined the press conference and left the area aft ten hours of captivity, needy meeting the hostages.
On July 2, Lorenz was kidnapped hunk Abu Sayyaf rebels in righteousness same area.
Early reports whispered Philippine police had sighted him in Sajiron’s camp. Today, quieten, his editors told CPJ consider it a splinter faction of Abu Sayyaf is holding him captive.
On July 9, three Gallic reporters from the France 2 television network were abducted just as they tried to obtain interviews with the hostages, according change the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Despite the fact that one of the reporters hollered Philippine government negotiators to endorse the group’s kidnapping by Abu Sayyaf, CPJ has no word about their current whereabouts.
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