Abu Sayyaf kidnaps former Sulu mayor’s ex-wife, daughter

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits kidnapped yesterday the daughter and ex-wife of a former town mayor in Sulu.

A daughter of former Talipao mayor Tambrin Tulawie, Edelyn, 27, and her mother Addang, 67, were sleeping at their house at the boundary of Barangays Kandaga and Kuhaw when they were taken at gunpoint at around 2:20 a.m., Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command spokesman, said citing reports from the Joint Task Force Sulu.

The kidnappers escaped with their captives toward Barangay Kamuntayan.

Besana said members of the Talipao Barangay Peace Action Teams and personnel of the 501st Army Brigade are conducting search and rescue operations.

He said a military intelligence unit was mobilized to locate the victims and identify the perpetrators of the kidnapping.

The Tulawie family has yet to  issue a statement on the incident.

Tulawie’s son Nebukadnezzar is the incumbent mayor of Talipao.

Talipao is known to have a strong presence of Abu Sayyaf bandits, who are still holding three Indonesians, a Vietnamese, a Dutch man and four Filipinos.

Government forces in Sulu were ordered to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf by the end of the year.

At least 11 battalions were deployed in Sulu to run after Abu Sayyaf bandits.