MARAWI CITY, Philippines—The three South Koreans, who were initially reported missing, had been kidnapped and are being held by gunmen in the borders of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, a military commander said.
Colonel Daniel Lucero, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Lanao del Sur, said they received reports that the group holding the foreigners, led by a “Pogi,” phoned friends of the South Koreans about three days ago and asked for ransom.
He said the other details of the conversation between the friends of Wu Seok-bung, Kim Nam-du and In Soo-choi were not clear except that the kidnappers wanted money.
Lucero said Pogi’s group was previously involved in extortion and carjacking in Lanao del Sur.
But he added it was not clear whether or not the victims were being held in Lanao del Sur although there were also reports the kidnappers hid them near Lake Lanao here.
“We are intensifying our monitoring. But we have no concrete report they were being kept in the province of Lanao del Sur,” Lucero said.
Lucero, meanwhile, said the military was coordinating with Muslim religious leaders and commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the two Lanao provinces for a concerted effort at rescuing the South Koreans.
The three foreigners went to Lanao del Norte from Cagayan de Oro City, where they had booked a hotel, on October 21 after being informed that there might be mineral deposits there that could spell cash for them.
A few days after their disappearance, staffers at the Miami Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City were alarmed and had notified authorities about the missing guests.
Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF political affairs chief, said members of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (Ahjag) were working with their government counterparts to locate the South Koreans.
“There was a case in Lanao del Sur before that kidnap victims were rescued and kidnappers were turned over by MILF Ahjag to the government,” Jaafar said.
In March 2008, armed men also kidnapped South Korean businessman Tae Jung and his Filipino companion in Lanao del Sur. They were freed two months later.
In February 2002, South Korean treasure hunter Yoon Jae-keon was kidnapped in Sarangani province. He was freed after his family paid an undetermined amount to the kidnappers.
Reports from Richel Umel, Jeoffrey Maitem and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao