Abducted Taiwanese tourist recovered in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - - Security forces recovered safely late Friday afternoon in the far flung village of Talipao, Sulu a Taiwanese female tourist who was abducted by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, an official said.

Col. Jose Johriel Cenabre, chief of the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) and 2nd Marine Brigade, said Chang An Wei alias Evelyn Chan, 58, was recovered about 4 p.m. at sitio Kanja Amil, Barangay Liban by the Marines and their agents.

Wei was abandoned by her captors when she was spotted by the Marines who were patrolling the area following information by the personnel of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and provincial police who were pursuing the captors of the victim.

Cenabre said the victim was immediately brought to the trauma hospital inside Kuta Heneral Teodulfo Bautista in Barangay Busbus for medical check-up.

"The victim was haggard and tired but she’s in good condition when I met her at the hospital,” Cenabre said.

The official said there was no immediate statement from the victim if she was able to identify what group her captors belonged to. However, the Abu Sayyaf group is known to kidnap victims  for ransom in Sulu  and the border of Sabah and Malaysia areas.

Cenabre said the victim was turned over to the custody of the NICA personnel and ferried last Friday night by the naval patrol craft that arrived Saturday dawn in this city.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said the victim who is in the NICA custody is expected to be flown to Manila anytime Saturday.

Wei and her husband Hsu Lim Min, 57, were on a vacaat Pom Pom Island Resort of Semporna, Sabah when the suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen barged into their chalet on Nov. 15 about 1 a.m.,  gunned down her husband before taking her captive.

The suspects took Wei on board a speedboat that sped off toward the direction of Tawi-Tawi.

Gen. Guerrero said the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) under rear Admiral Isabelo Gador said they have stepped up the security in the vast border of Philippines and Malaysia in the south to prevent the militants from further harassing  island resorts near the border.

The Navy has reduced its water assets deployment in the area after several of the naval craft were re-directed to assist the relief operations in the Eastern Visayas that was devastated by the super typhoon Yolanda.

Guerrero said the troops in the island provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi  have been directed to intensify their operation against the Abu Sayyaf.