BY NONOY E. LACSON
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Soldiers rescued Wednesday Filipino-American Rex Triplet from the hands of his captors believed to be members of the Sulu-based Daesh Inspired-Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group.
“We are happy to inform the public that our operating troops successfully rescued at about 10:30 a.m. today (Sept. 30) kidnapped Fil-Am national Triplet from the hands of his captors,” Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan, Jr. said.
According to Joint Task Force (JTF) ZamPeLan commander Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, soldiers from the 42nd Infantry Battalion encountered five armed men at Sitio Banalan, Barangay Pisa Itom, Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte at about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday while conducting manhunt operations against the abductors of Triplet.
Triplet was heading home with his wife Celsa onboard a motorcycle when five men accosted them last Sept. 16 in Barangay Piacan in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
The abductors, armed with an M203 automatic rifle and three short firearms, forcibly took Triplet. His wife managed to escape and seek help from barangay officials of Barangay Tapanayan.
The suspects immediately dragged the victim towards the hinterland of Barangay Tapanayan in Sirawai.
“Our troops were acting on information about the presence of five fully-armed men and one unarmed individual believed to be Triplet, in their community,” Ponio said.
“When the five engaged with the operating troops, Triplet found an opportunity to hide and ask for help from our soldiers,” Ponio added.
Vinluan claimed that intensified intelligence monitoring and the unwavering support of the concerned citizens led to the rescue of Triplet.
“He is now being checked in a health center in Sirawai and we will facilitate his immediate transfer for further medical check-up and debriefing,” Vinluan added. (Nonoy E. Lacson)
