By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA – A Filipino and a Malaysian national were kidnapped by three armed gunmen in Sabah, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed.
According to DFA spokesman Charles Jose, they received reports from the Philippine police attaché in Kuala Lumpur about the kidnapping in Kunak, Sabah on June 16.
The Royal Malaysian Police believe the three masked gunmen intended to bring the two to Jolo, Sulu.
The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police have been alerted about the incident and Malaysian and Philippine authorities have been coordinating their efforts to find the kidnap victims and their captors.
Jose said they have yet to receive any information about the identities of the abductors.
Earlier reports identified the Filipino as a certain “Maslan” while his Malaysian employer was identified as Chan Sai Chiun, said to be a fish farmer.
This is the third kidnapping incident in the East Coast of Sabah this year and fourth within six months.
On May 6, five armed men abducted a 34-year-old Chinese national who managed a fish breeding company in Pulau Batik, Lahad Datu just over a month after a Chinese national and a Filipina were abducted from a resort off Semporna.
November last year, a Taiwanese tourist was shot dead while his female companion was kidnapped from Pom Pom island.
The hostage was later released and it was believed that ransom was paid./PN
