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BUTUAN CITY – The kidnappers of former Carrascal, Surigao del Sur Mayor Victor Tan had demanded P70 million for his release, his successor said on Wednesday.
Carrascal Mayor Vicente Pimentel said the kidnappers – who have links with some politicians he would not identify – have made their demands known to Tan’s family and local officials.
“The family had earlier said they could not afford to pay the huge amount,” Pimentel said by phone.
Tan, 67, was snatched while supervising a project – which is being constructed by a firm he manages — in Barangay Zone 3 in Lanuza town, also in Surigao del Sur, around 9 a.m. Monday.
“According to his personal driver, the victim was forcibly taken by more or less eight armed persons in civilian attire and was brought to a mountainous part of the town,” Supt. Martin Gamba, spokesperson of the Caraga police, said.
It was the second time Tan had been kidnapped.
While serving as Carrascal mayor in 1997, he was also snatched by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels as he visited his company’s construction site in Lianga, also in Surigao del Sur.
The rebels eventually released Tan after holding him in captivity for several months.
Pimentel said the group that snatched Pimentel on Monday had pretended to be NPA rebels “but they were not.”
“The abductors are not NPA but members of a group pretending to be NPA and make livelihood through kidnap for ransom activities,” he said.
Pimentel said authorities had already established the identities of the suspects and the possible place where Tan had been brought to.
He said the local government was closely coordinating with the police and the military for a possible rescue and arrests of the suspects and their patrons.
But Pimentel said the safety of Tan was their main concern at the moment and that plans related to this was being finalized.
He said the government maintains its policy of no ransom, no negotiation with kidnappers.
Ramil Bangues and Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao