The Examiner Philippines

PIKIT, North Cotabato (Philippine Daily Inquirer) — Armed men on Sunday released a Chinese tourist they held captive for five days.

Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) helped convince the captors of Afen Ma, 24, to free her without ransom.

“No ransom was paid to the kidnappers. Not a single centavo. It’s purely a way of showing their (MILF’s) sincerity to help us,” Sacdalan said.

Afen, 24, who hails from China’s southeastern province of Fujian, arrived in the Philippines with her husband about five months ago. Her brother-in-law runs a small department store in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

The military identified Mayangkang Saguile, a leader of the Pentagon gang, as behind Afen’s abduction.

Saguile had earlier been charged with the kidnapping of Chinese-Filipino hotelier Wilson Tan and his daughter Jennifer, 10. They were freed four days later after paying ransom.

Sacdalan said police investigators would accompany Afen to Davao City where her family was waiting.

“She can’t speak English. Our policemen will go with her along with local officials in Davao City to get her account,” Sacdalan said.

Kabacan Mayor George Tan said Ma was released ay around 8 a.m. in the marshy area of Rajamudah village.

“We are thankful that she (Ma) was released through negotiation made by the local MILF,” Tan said.

“I thank the soldiers for trusting us. We don’t want people being displaced again once the military launch an operation against the kidnappers,” he added.

Tan’s wife, Luz, also a former mayor who acted as negotiator, stressed that no ransom was paid to the captors.

“We really begged with the kidnappers to release her because we don’t want fighting to erupt again in the region. They listened to us,” she said.

“The victim was not hurt, except for the small bruises in her legs and hands, and some mosquito bites,” she added.

The Pentagon, blamed for at least 50 kidnapping cases in Mindanao, first gained notoriety on Oct. 17, 2001, when it abducted Italian priest Guissepe Pierrantoni while he was officiating a Mass in Dimatali town in Zamboanga del Sur.

Pierrantoni was released on April 8, 2002.

Col. Domingo Gobway, commander of 7th Infantry Battalion, said operations would continue to get the leader of the kidnappers.