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Abu Sayyaf kidnap Filippino doctor
Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits snatched a government doctor in Parang town on Friday, military and police authorities said on Saturday. Brigadier General Agustin Dema-ala, commander of the military's Task Force Comet based in Sulu province, said Alberio Canda was taken from the municipal health office in Parang, where he had been staying, at around 10 p.m. It was not clear why the Abu Sayyaf abducted Canda, Dema-ala said.| He's a infidel and a "collaborator", for starters. |
Peter Canda, the victim's cousin, said the physician had no known enemies. "We have no idea why he was kidnapped," Peter, who works for a local radio station, said.| And his cousin works for a radio station; free publicity. |
But Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, commander of the Western Mindanao Area Police Office (Wapo) based in Zamboanga City, said Canda could have been "snatched to treat wounded outlaws."| Sounds like a fair guess to me. |
Dema-ala said soldiers have already been dispatched to track down the suspects and to rescue the physician. Farah Omar, Sulu provincial health officer, said he was saddened and angered by the incident. "We are already facing difficulties because of lack of doctors and now, one of our colleagues had been kidnapped. We hope he would not be harmed," the doctor said. Omarbasha Lucman, president of the Philippine College of Surgeons-Northern Mindanao chapter, said that "when [doctors are kidnapped], we can't encourage them to practice in Mindanao, particularly in remote areas."| Way to go, Abu Sayyaf. Why not run off all the doctors, not just most of them? |
In Maguindanao province, gunmen seized and later freed the son of a village official in Datu Piang town, also on Friday. Superintendent Medior Midpantao, provincial police chief, identified the victim as Datu Siswali. Midpantao said Datu Piang Mayor Shamer Uy quickly intervened and convinced the captors to free the victim.| A large sack of cash can be very convincing. |
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-11-22 |
