Abu Sayyaf frees 2 police officers in Sulu

Published: 1:52 p.m., May 16, 2018 | Updated: 5:33 p.m., May 16, 2018

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two female cops kidnapped last April 29, 2018 have been freed and will be sent home soon to their families.

Chief Supt. Billy Beltran said the female cops had been freed. But his only other message sent to the INQUIRER was “we don’t have details yet.”

As of this writing, only Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), was privy to the developments transpiring in Sulu.

Albayalde also confirmed the release over a interview with one of the big television networks.

Inside sources said that PO1 Dinah Gumahad was released last May 15 at around 6:30pm in Barangay Samak, Talipao town. But no one among the top military and police officials in Sulu and in Zamboanga City would like to confirm this.

The Anti Kidnapping Group was also mum over the report, although a day after the two female cops were kidnapped, they were with the families of the officers when the two captives called to relay the ransom demand.

On May 16, at around 10:25am, PO3 Bennie Rose Alvarez was also freed in the same place, in Barangay Samak, Talipao town.

The kidnappers were demanding P5 million each for the release of the two female cops.

Without official sources, the two kidnapped cops were freed and handed over to Nur Misuari, founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), at an undisclosed location around 11:40 a.m. on May 16.

The source said the release was made possible by one of the unnamed aide of former Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan.

The two female cops, along with their male guides Faisal Hambali and a certain Jacosalem ,awere kidnapped in Sitio Palar, Barangay Gandasuli town of Patikul.

Hambali and Jacosalem were freed a day after the kidnapping and they were placed under tactical interrogation by Joint Task Force Sulu.

Gumahad and Alvarez went to Sulu to surprise their boyfriends who were all members of the Philippine Army.

In the course of rescue operations to secure the two female cops, three soldiers were killed and 18 wounded. /atm