2 American women snatched

Two American women and their Filipina balikbayan friend were abducted by burly-looking men who introduced themselves as Manila policemen while they were walking behind the ShoeMart mall in Ermita, Manila last Saturday night.

Western Police District sources said a certain Lhea de la Cruz called the WPD general assignments section to report that her balikbayan-sister, Diwa de la Cruz, 38, was abducted along with tourists Catherine Smith and Christine Scott.

However, WPD director Senior Superintendent Pedro Bulaong denied there was any kidnapping and dismissed the incident as a case of missing persons. He did not elaborate.

De la Cruz told police that she received a telephone call from an unidentified man who demanded a ransom of P3 million in exchange for the victims’ safe release.

Investigation revealed that De la Cruz, Smith and Scott were walking along Concepcion street near the Manila City Hall at around 7 p.m. Saturday when they were accosted by two men who introduced themselves as policemen.

The women, who are supposedly billeted at the Heritage Hotel at EDSA and Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, were on their way to a money-changer in Sta. Cruz, also in Manila.

Advising the women they would be brought to the Malate police station, the men told the victims to board a cream Toyota Hi-Ace van with license plates WNU-522.

But WPD sources could not officially confirm the report as the incident was already turned over to the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER).

Meanwhile, in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, a Filipino-Chinese businessman and his Filipino aide were abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf extremists Sunday afternoon in the town of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

Lt. Col. Danilo Lucero, newly appointed spokesman for the Armed Forces Southern Command, told newsmen that five armed men barged into the Uni Agua Marine Center, owned and managed by Alvin Chua, 24, and forcibly took him and his Filipino helper at gunpoint.

The suspects reportedly dragged their hostages towards a waiting pumpboat at the nearby pier and escaped minutes after the abduction took place.

Lucero said that no demand has yet been relayed by the kidnappers to the victims’ families.

Meanwhile, a blockade has been set in the suspects’ possible escape routes as police and marine troops combed the area. Military troops in Sulu were already alerted on the latest kidnapping incident.

The suspects are believed to be Abu Sayyaf rebels, who are now on the run from a military assault on the nearby island of Jolo, where three Indonesians and four Filipinos are also being held captive.

The abduction of Chua is the second in a year’s time that happened in Bongao. In November last year, suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits also seized Sherwin Caraig, who was brought to Sulu by the kidnappers and freed only last month.

Meanwhile, the Japanese embassy advised its citizens to stay away from crowded places such as department stores, shopping malls, bars, restaurants and discos in Manila and Zamboanga City.

The embassy said it has received calls from Japanese tourists inquiring about the security situation in the country and some potential tourists have canceled their scheduled trips to the country.

The Canadian embassy also advised Canadians to "maintain a high level of personal security awareness at all times," especially against terrorist attacks and "civil disorder."

Noting that a Canadian was kidnapped in November 2001, the embassy said "security at resorts, particularly at beach resorts, should be carefully reviewed."

But the advisory appeared to be concerned more with terror attacks than kidnapping-for-ransom and advised Canadians to "exercise extreme caution, particularly in commercial and public areas frequented by foreigners such as clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas."

At the same time, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza appealed to the public to maintain vigilance not only against kidnapping but against all acts of criminality, especially terrorism.

"There is no doubt that al-Qaeda and its affiliated cells did it. Knowing the senselessness of its activities, we can only surmise they will target mass transportation systems as they had done with the (light rail transit) a year ago," Mendoza said in a statement.

But terrorists cannot be successful if the public is alert and conscious enough to spot the threats and immediately report the same to the authorities.

DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion said that the earlier DOTC directive for increased security in transportation facilities is still being enforced.

Lantion said the police and the military have also harnessed K-9 and other units in the intensified drive against possible threats to mass transportation systems.

Commuters and the public in general, he said, can use the DOTC action line 7890 or the police emergency telephone numbers to report any suspicious looking individuals or packages, which may contain terrorist bombs. - With Roel Pareño, Aurea Calica, Sheila Crisostomo, AFP