ZAMBOANGA CITY – Alleged members of a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) group operating along with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu province abducted Tuesday night a popular physician in Jolo, Sulu.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials launched a rescue operation for Dr. Daniel Moreno, an internist who resides in Jolo town proper.
AFP’s Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said Moreno was forcibly taken at gunpoint inside his clinic by at least four armed persons wearing police and military uniformed at about 7:19 p.m., Tuesday.
Moreno’s clinic is located at the village of Walled City in Jolo, few meters away from the Jolo Police Station, the military report said.
The kidnappers sped towards the direction of Indanan in Sulu using a private red Toyota Tamaraw vehicle.
Indanan is one of the known stronghold of the ASG and other criminal groups operating in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) area.
Reports said Moreno practiced his medical profession in Hawaii, United States of America (USA) prior to his return to Jolo where he established the Moreno Medical Clinic.
Dr. Moreno is a board certified internist in Honolulu, Hawaii who took his education and training at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital.
Moreno established the clinics to help the Sulu residents in their medical needs considering that most of his town and province mates are poor and could hardly afford to seek a medical attention from private medical clinics in Jolo, the military learned.
Observers said Moreno’s medical clinic in Jolo has helped the poor people in the province.
Prior to the establishment of Moreno’s medical clinic in Jolo, sick people in the province has to ferry to Zamboanga City hospitals for medical attention.
In a related development, Major Arvin Encinas, spokesperson of WestMinCom, said the Metro Jolo Inter-agency Task Group has been mobilized to rescue Moreno and apprehend his captors.
The task group is composed of military and police personnel. (Nonoy Lacson and Martin A. Sadongdong)
