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Manila Bulletin

ASG sets Sulu teacher free

ASG sets Sulu teacher free

By Roel Tibay

By Nonoy Lacson ZAMBOANGA CITY â€“ An elementary public school teacher was released unharmed Monday night by captors, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), after holding him captive for 52 hours in a undisclosed place in Sulu province. A military report reaching here said suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) kidnapped Benjamin Ubaid on Saturday at 2 p.m. and released him on Monday at 6 p.m. after his family reportedly paid a P200,000-ransom. Ubaid is a Jolo, Sulu-resident and a teacher at the Camp Andress Central Elementary School (CACES) at Barangay Tubig Putih in the town of Luuk in Sulu. The military said Ubaid told them that two persons accosted him, Saturday, and brought him first to Kalimayahan Village before he was blindfolded, and brought to an undisclosed place in Sulu. According to a report, the ASG had initially asked for a P1-million ransom, but later agreed to lower this to P200,000. The military added that, before he was abducted, Ubaid went had gone to Huani in Barangay Latih, Patikul, Sulu to attend the 100-day prayers for a departed brother.

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