By Xinhua,
COTABATO, the Philippines : A Filipino-Chinese trader kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippines was released by his captors on Friday, the police said.
Diokhing Que, 60, was left by his kidnappers near a school in the township of Indanan, Sulu Province shortly before 4:00 p.m. (0800 GMT), said regional police chief Benzali Jabarani.
“There was no ransom paid by the family in exchange for his freedom,” Jabarani said.
“He (Que) was not hurt based on the information we received,” he added.
Que, a local grocery store owner in Jolo island, was abducted Monday by four armed men on his way home from the store in the village of Kakuyangan, Indanan.
In December last year, Abu Sayyaf armed men kidnapped a young Chinese store assistant in Jolo city. Local Filipino-Chinese community leaders feared the Chinese national might have been killed as abductors got no prospect of ransom payment for him.
At the same time, Jabarani said that Ahmad Ilang, a lending company driver who was kidnapped in Basilan earlier this week, was rescued by the Philippine Marines on the same day.
Llang’s companion, Leah Patris, remained in the hands of kidnappers.
Gunmen seized Llang, Patris and their colleague Nasra Mudjain on their way back to their office on Tuesday after collecting loan payments. Mudjain managed to escape and reported the incident to the police.
Aside from Patris, kidnappers are also holding a nine-year-old boy Chester Gruta, who was kidnapped in Lamitan City in Basilan Island, 45-year-old midwife Elizar Gomera, three state teachers and three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross abducted early this month in the Island of Sulu.
Abu Sayyaf gunmen claimed that they are holding the three international aid workers and is now open to negotiations with the government emissary led by Vice President Noli de Castro.
The Abu Sayyaf is a rebel group with some 380 members blamed for a series of kidnappings and terror attacks in the Southeast Asian country, including the bombing of a ferry near Manila Bay in2004 that killed more than 100 people.