Cotabato traders issue appeal for kidnapped Indian pal

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Traders and members of civic groups here have appealed to the captors of Indian trader Mike Khemani to set him free, citing health reasons and the need for him to freely continue with his humanitarian projects for the city’s Christian and Muslim communities.

Sam Fontanilla, past district governor of the Rotary International District 3870, said while Khemani is of pure Indian descent, he is a key benefactor of the Rotary’s yearly “Handog Pabuka,” which provides dinner banquets for Muslims during the Ramadan fasting season.

“He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Cotabato City-South. He is a stern advocate of Muslim-Christian unity,” Fontanilla told The STAR via e-mail.

Fontanilla, a human rights lawyer, said Khemani is also an active supporter of their “adopt a mosque” project and the Rotary’s medical and dental outreach missions to underdeveloped Moro villages.

Fontanilla said Rotarians are saddened by the continuing captivity of Khemani, who was snatched by armed men in the premises of his department store along the busy Bonifacio Street here last Tuesday night.

Khemani owns the Sugni Superstore, which has branches in Kabacan town in North Cotabato and Kidapawan City.

Witnesses said four men, who spoke to each other in the Maguindanaon dialect, gunned down one of Khemani’s bodyguards and wounded another before they dragged him to a getaway car parked nearby and spirited him to a riverside district where a motorized banca was waiting.

Khemani was also close to local members of the Free Masons fraternity, whose members are mostly affiliated with civic and peace advocacy groups.

“He is not a Mason, but he is close to many masons and have been very supportive of the community service programs of the Masons,” Fontanilla said.

He said Khemani had petitioned to join masonry.

The Kampilan Press Corps, composed of journalists in Central Mindanao covering the activities of the Army’s 6th Infantry “Kampilan” Division, condemned Khemani’s kidnapping in a statement.

Senior Superintendent Rolen Balquin, city police chief, said they now have clues on the identities of Khemani’s kidnappers, but declined to reveal names pending validation by investigators and intelligence operatives.