Philippine military launches manhunt for kidnappers of Canizares

Philippine military officials have deployed 300 Marine soldiers in Sulu, southern Philippines to launch massive manhunt against the kidnappers who abducted and beheaded the school principal Gabriel Canizares.

"This is a massive (operation). That is why we have many troops who are focused on this effort," Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., public affairs chief of the Armed Force of the Philippines, said in Wednesday's press briefing.

Canizares, principal of the state-owned Kanague Elementary School in Patikul town, was snatched Oct. 19. The alleged kidnappers, members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, demanded for a 2 million pesos (430,000 U.S. dollars) ransom from the provincial government. But Sulu Governor Sakur Tan refused to pay the ransom and urged the kidnappers to release the victims.

Monday, police officials found the decapitated head of Canizares in a bag placed at a gas station in the provincial capital of Jolo. Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the military and police officials to pursue the Abu Sayyaf.

Brawner also allayed fears by some teachers in Sulu who refused to report for work, worried that they would also be kidnapped and beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf.

"We cannot blame them for being concerned for their security because of what happened to Canizares. But we are doing our part to ensure that our teachers are secured," he said.

Brawner said the military is conducting a study as early as last year to deploy more troops around schools, particularly those in Western Mindanao, following the rash of kidnappings of teachers last year.

Brawner said the military is yet to confirm that the kidnappers are members of the Abu Sayyaf.

"There is a big possibility that it's Abu Sayyaf (who kidnapped Canizares). But we are checking on possibility that another group was involved. There are information indicating its another group," he said.

Source: Xinhua