*Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - July 1, 2009: Abu Sayyaf bandits turned over three teachers it had kidnapped in Zamboanga Sibugay province last March 13 to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said. 
A motorist shows his driver's license to a soldier at a military checkpoint in Cotabato city in southern Philippines July 1, 2009. Fighting has escalated in the oil and gas-rich marshlands in Mindanao in the last two months, forcing nearly 350,000 people to flee from their homes and farms and pushing back peace talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stalled since August 2008.
Jocelyn Inion, Jocelyn Enrique,z and Noemi Mandih, were handed over by their captors to the group of MILF Commander Aloy Alsrie in Naga town, also in Zamboanga Sibugay, Puno said.
Puno did not say when the MILF got hold of the captives.
“As I understand, the three teachers are in the MILF camp,” he said.
But Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, said Puno’s claim was baseless.
“There’s no truth to it. The captives are not in the MILF camp in Tungawan,” he said in a phone interview.
Puno said the kidnappers decided to leave the teachers with the rebels to escape government soldiers who were after them.
“The kidnappers went to their (MILF) camp after they were pursued by the security forces, an intimidating pursuit operation,” he said.But Puno said the MILF had nothing to do with the kidnapping of the teachers.
Brigadier General Muhammad Nur Askalani, chair of the government Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (Ahjag), a body formed to monitor the ceasefire between government and the MILF, said he has yet to verify Puno’s information.
“I have no personal knowledge about the details,” Askalani said
A motorist shows his driver's license to a soldier at a military checkpoint in Cotabato city in southern Philippines July 1, 2009. Fighting has escalated in the oil and gas-rich marshlands in Mindanao in the last two months, forcing nearly 350,000 people to flee from their homes and farms and pushing back peace talks with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stalled since August 2008.
Jocelyn Inion, Jocelyn Enrique,z and Noemi Mandih, were handed over by their captors to the group of MILF Commander Aloy Alsrie in Naga town, also in Zamboanga Sibugay, Puno said.
Puno did not say when the MILF got hold of the captives.
“As I understand, the three teachers are in the MILF camp,” he said.
But Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, said Puno’s claim was baseless.
“There’s no truth to it. The captives are not in the MILF camp in Tungawan,” he said in a phone interview.
Puno said the kidnappers decided to leave the teachers with the rebels to escape government soldiers who were after them.
“The kidnappers went to their (MILF) camp after they were pursued by the security forces, an intimidating pursuit operation,” he said.But Puno said the MILF had nothing to do with the kidnapping of the teachers.
Brigadier General Muhammad Nur Askalani, chair of the government Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (Ahjag), a body formed to monitor the ceasefire between government and the MILF, said he has yet to verify Puno’s information.
“I have no personal knowledge about the details,” Askalani said
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