An
Australian man kidnapped 15 months ago by an al-Qaeda-linked group in
the Philippines has been released.
An emaciated-looking Warren Rodwell was freed on Saturday
near Pagadian city in the southern Philippines, police said.He was kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in 2011, and had last been shown alive in a video posted on social media websites in December.
Abu Sayyaf is considered the smallest and most radical of the extremist movements in the southern Philippines.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr welcomed the news, saying the release had been the result of a joint effort by authorities in both countries.
"The Philippines government had the lead role in this case and deserve congratulations for their tireless efforts on Mr Rodwell's behalf," said Mr Carr.
He added that Mr Rodwell was being moved to a safe location and that the focus now was on his recovery.
'No payments'
A number of foreigners have been kidnapped for ransom in the southern Philippines. The Australian government has a longstanding policy of refusing to pay ransom for its citizens.
Areas within the region are used as bases by Islamist militants and rebel groups.
Abu Sayyaf militants remain a security threat in the impoverished region, where minority Muslims have been fighting for self-rule for decades.
The main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, last year signed a peace accord with the government in exchange for broad autonomy.
But Abu Sayyaf were among the rebel groups who refused to sign up to the peace deal.
3 comments :
The one's who have gained out of this kidnapping crime are the terrorists and the local Filipino wife. Strange that she kept using her maiden name. Why didn't she sell his house and the water filling station as she claimed, (but was quickly exposed to be untrue) to raise ransom money?
The one's who have gained out of this kidnapping crime are the terrorists and the local Filipino wife. Strange that she kept using her maiden name. Why didn't she sell his house and the water filling station as she claimed, (but was quickly exposed to be untrue) to raise ransom money?
For those interested, they may refer to the Cambridge Scholars Publishing (United Kingdom) biography / book "472 Days Captive of The Abu Sayyaf - The Survival of Australian Warren Rodwell" by independent researcher Dr Bob East.
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