ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/1 March) – An engineering student escaped from his captors on Friday afternoon, barely a day after he was seized in Pagadian City, a police official said Saturday.
Chief Insp. Ariel Huesca, Police Regional Office-9 information officer, said Stephen Tan, 19, was safely recovered at around 5:15 p.m. Friday in Barangay Little Baguio, Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Three gunmen suspected to be kidnappers waylaid and seized Tan while he was driving his Sports Utility Vehicle at around 9 p.m. Thursday along Cabrera Street, Barangay Gatas in Pagadian City.
The suspects commandeered Tan’s vehicle and sped eastward from the crime scene.
The victim, who belongs to a wealthy family, is an engineering student of the Southern Mindanao College in Pagadian City.
Huesca said investigation showed that Tan managed to escape from his abductors at around 1:30 p.m. Friday after he was able to remove his blindfold.
He said Tan jumped from his vehicle towards the riverbank and hid in the bushes.
Huesca said the abductors fled after they failed to find the victim.
He said the victim sought assistance from a nearby house where he was able to borrow a cellular phone and immediately contacted his family, who in turn coordinated with the authorities of Zamboanga Sibugay through Diplahan Mayor Cris Jore.
Huesca said that Jore contacted the police and together, they safely recovered Tan. (MindaNews)
