Kidnapped Chinese trader rescued

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – Police rescued a young Chinese trader, who was held captive for nearly 19 months by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants, following an encounter in a remote village in Luuk, Sulu Monday night.

One of the suspected captors of the rescued Chinese trader, Xili Wu, an illegal immigrant who also goes by the name Peter Go, was also captured in a follow-up operation, said Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Verzosa said Xili was rescued at around 8:10 p.m. Monday in Sitio Tubig Samin, Barangay Lambago in Luuk town by combined elements of the provincial and municipal police.

Verzosa was here yesterday to preside over the turnover of the Region 9 police command from Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao to Chief Superintendent Edwin Corvera.

Sunglao is now the chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation in Western Mindanao.

Verzosa said Xili’s rescue was conducted on orders of Senior Superintendent Elmer Escosia, Sulu police director.

He said the police operatives encountered the heavily armed Abu Sayyaf group of a certain Commander Julmidin, leading them to rescue Xili.

Xili was abducted on Dec. 13, 2008 by six armed men while closing his shop in downtown Jolo.

Superintendent Christopher Panapan, Sulu deputy police director, said that based on his passport, Xili is a Chinese national who hails from Fujian, China.

After his rescue, Xili was immediately brought to the Sulu police headquarters where he underwent medical checkup.

“He was reported to be in good condition and being attended to by the police and civilian medical corps,” Sunglao said.

Sunglao said Xili would also undergo debriefing to determine how he survived his long captivity in the hands of suspected Abu Sayyaf militants.

“We also would like to find out if he was really abducted since there were also other issues like his being an illegal alien with an expired document at the time he was taken,” Sunglao said.

Sunglao said they would show Xili pictures of suspected Abu Sayyaf members so he could identify his captors.

Sunglao brushed aside reports that ransom was paid for Xili’s freedom, saying there was indeed an encounter and that the Chinese trader was in the custody of the armed group that the police clashed with.   – With Mike Frialde