Kidnapped son of trader rescued

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Alerted agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) Mindanao Area II captured Wednesday night in this city one of the kidnappers of a nine-year-old son of a businessman based in Talusan, Zamboanga del Sur.

Chief Inspector Bayani Gucela, spokesman of the PAOCTF Mindanao II, identified the arrested suspect as Bading Baidulla, 48, one of the kidnappers who seized Richard Lim, son of Ricardo Lim.

Gucela said their agents raided the safehouse of Baidulla in the coastal village of Talon-Talon and eventually captured the suspect while in the process of calling his companions to take the captive away.

"He was overheard commanding somebody to move and hide the captive through handheld radio," Gucela said.

He said the suspect was positively identified as one of those who seized the boy last Oct. 10 while the victim was on his way to their service vehicle from their school campus.

The suspects fled to one of the islands east of this city and initially demanded P500,000 as "operational expenses" for their captive. The elder Lim confirmed that they have received letters from the abductors.

Meanwhile, police and military agents are eyeing a suspected syndicate of child smugglers which seized a six-year old girl in Lanao del Sur and brought her to Marawi City last Sunday.

Rosanna Pacquiao of Barangay Sembaron, Linamon town was abducted by Allit Sani with two others. Reports reaching the PNP Western Mindanao Regional Command disclosed that the suspects fled to Cagayan de Oro City.