Gov't welcomes rescue of kidnapped Chinese tourist in Sulu

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government today welcomed the rescue of a Chinese tourist and a female  Filipino worker abducted in a resort in Sabah, Malaysia almost two months ago.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that coordination among countries, such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, has been helping a lot in resolving problems like the recent kidnapping incident.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the rescue of Filipino resort worker Marcelita Dayawan and Chinese tourist Gao Hua Yuan, a Chinese national, on his Twitter account on Friday.

He said that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the victims, who were reportedly brought by alleged Abu Sayyaf abductors in southern Philippine province of Sulu.

"We are happy to hear such news because we don't stop in fighting such kind of criminality, which has been affecting the image of our country," Coloma said in an interview over a state- run radio station.

The two women were snatched from Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort in the town of Semporna in Sabah on April 2.