Abductors of university clerk demand money for captive's medicine

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The gunmen that abducted a clerk of a state-run university here have demanded money for medicine of their captive, a police official confirmed Tuesday.

City Police director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said the abductors issued the demand following a contact that was established by the family of captive Alrashid Rojas.

Rojas, 56, clerk of the Islamic research and study center in Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), was abducted by eight gunmen from his house in Barangay Campo Islam, a coastal village of this city last Saturday night.

Police said the gunmen in fatigue uniforms and masks beat and handcuffed Rojas before taking him to the getaway motorized watercraft.

“There is no ransom demand, yet what was demanded by the kidnappers was unspecified amount of money for the medicine of the victim,” De Ocampo said.

De Ocampo said it appeared that Rojas sustained injuries while he fought back during his abduction.

During the contact to the victim’s family, the kidnappers claimed that they were in Sulu which De Ocampo described to be part of the kidnappers’ diversionary tactics.