3 Muslims, kidnapped, murdered in South

ZAMBOANGA CITY (AFP) — Three Muslim men were abducted as they prayed inside a mosque on the outskirts of this southern city and were later found murdered in a nearby village, the military said yesterday.

Unknown gunmen snatched the three farmers, Gazmin Aaron, Bong Aaron, and Asdabin Galim as they prayed inside the mosque in the village of Tagasilay late Sunday, said the local military commander, Brigadier General Trifonio Salazar.

The military chased the kidnappers, but residents later found the bodies of the three victims in the nearby village of Muti, Salazar told reporters. All three bore gunshot wounds. No suspects have been named or arrested.

A new wave of kidnappings hit the country this year, with nearly 200 victims so far.

The ethnic Chinese community, the main target of kidnap gangs, is putting pressure on the government to reinstate the death penalty.

However, President Arroyo insisted yesterday that capital punishment by itself would not solve the problem.