ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Philippines — A British businessman and his Filipino wife who were kidnapped in Zamboanga del Sur were not brought by their captors to this province. “We conducted verification with various municipalities... so far we yielded negative information on the presence of the victims,” Col. Rufino Inot, Basilan police director, told reporters yesterday. Inot said the transfer of kidnap victims to Basilan is a “thing of the past,” citing relentless military and police operations in coordination with concerned local government units. Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo assured the public anew that it is safe for local and foreign tourists to visit Mindanao. Panelo maintained that the kidnapping of the British man and his wife was an isolated incident.

Source: Philippine Star October 11, 2019 16:18 UTC