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1 of 6 hostages in Basilan recovered, officials say


(Updated 1:22 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines – Authorities on Monday night recovered one of the six people kidnapped in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, military and local officials said Tuesday. In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said Hernard Chavez was recovered around 9:30 p.m. Monday in Magcawa village in Al Barkha town. For his part, Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay said policemen doing intelligence operations recovered Chavez around 8 p.m. He said police operatives chanced upon a group of armed men who dispersed upon sensing the cops' presence. Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, Basilan police chief, claimed that Chavez was "rescued" by police operatives. "Chavez has been rescued and there is an operation to track down his kidnappers," Macapantar said. Torres said Chavez was brought to the Lamitan City police station for medical examination Tuesday morning. Captain Neil Estrella, Task Force Trillium spokesman, said Chavez will also undergo debriefing procedure. The task force has been ordered to secure the release of all the hostages in Basilan. Last April 10, Chavez was seized along with Cosme Aballes by suspected combined forces of Abu Sayyaf bandits and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Arco village in Lamitan City. While retreating as they were being pursued by police and military forces, the abductors killed Aballes and a farmer on the same day. Chavez’s recovery brings the number of the people still being held hostage in Basilan down to five. Still in captivity are a Sri Lankan peace advocate, three teachers from Zamboanga City and a lending firm employee from Maluso town in Basilan. Estrella said their rescue efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Police identified those still being held in Basilan as: government teachers Quizon Freires, 28; Janette Delos Reyes, 29; and Rafael L. Mayonado, 24, kidnapped in January in Zamboanga City and a lending firm collector Leah Patris, seized near Basilan’s Maluso town and a Sri Lankan national, Umar Jaleel, a member of the international peace advocate group called Nonviolent Peaceforce. Both were kidnapped in February. - Sophia Dedace with Maria Katrina Alba and Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV
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