Teen kidnapped with 2 Americans escapes

ZAMBOANGA City—A 19-year-old-boy kidnapped by armed men along with two American nationals in July escaped from his captors in Maluso, Basilan, on Saturday night.

Colonel Ricardo Visaya, chief of the Army’s 104th Brigade, said Romnick Jakaria escaped while his abductors were asleep.

Jakaria was taken by armed men along with relatives, American nationals Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann and her 14-year old son, in Tigtabon Island here on July 12.

Visaya said Jakaria managed to escape from his captors “while they were asleep last Saturday.”

But Visaya said the continuous military operations in the province also helped in Jakaria’s escape.

“Perhaps the kidnappers were exhausted from running around and Jakaria took the opportunity to escape from his captors,” Visaya said.

He said Jakaria is in their custody for medical checkup and debriefing.

Lunsmann, a Filipino-American veterinarian based in Virginia, USA, was freed on October 2. Her son remains in captivity.

Senior Superintendent Edwin De Ocampo, acting city police chief, said they still do not know where the 14-year old boy was.—Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao