Australian Warren Rodwell is missing in the the Philippines with fears he was abducted by Muslim militants.
THE AUSTRALIAN Government has issued a travel warning for parts of the Philippines as the search for a Sydney man who was kidnapped at gunpoint from a seaside town continued yesterday.
Warren Rodwell was snatched from his home late Monday in the town of Ipil on the main island of Mindanao and authorities appear to be no closer to tracking down his armed captors.Local police said the 53-year-old was shot in the foot during the abduction as he wrestled with up to six gunmen.
Police recovered an empty bullet casing and found blood outside the property, the Mindanao Examiner reported.
"Rodwell was shot in the foot while trying to fight off the kidnappers, who are members of a local gang, but with links to the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan province," Army Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang said without further elaborating.
The Abu Sayyaf terror group was founded in 1990 with al Qaeda funding and has been blamed for the Philippines' worst terrorist attacks, including a ferry bombing that killed more than 100 people in 2004, as well as the beheading of foreigners. It is part of a Muslim separatist rebellion which has been raging for 40 years.
Cabangbang said security forces have launched a massive search for Mr Rodwell, who was born in Sydney but has spent the past decade teaching English across Asia.
He was living in Ipil, in the southern Philippines, where he and Filipino wife, Miraflor Gutang, 27, also known as Grace, ran a store. She reportedly walked out on him after an argument only days before he was kidnapped, The Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing information from police.
Ipil acting Mayor Alberto Alcoriza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that Mr Rodwell had been warned about the dangers of the region and offered security protection -- but told authorities he could protect himself.
"He told us then that he'd fight back in case he encountered security problems," Mr Alcoriza said.
Mr Rodwell is the 10th foreigner to be kidnapped in the southern Philippines this year.
The Australian Government has established a consular task force to deal with the kidnapping, while in an increased travel warning, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Transport urged people not to travel to central and western Mindanao, and reconsider plans to visit eastern Mindanao, because of the threat of terror attacks and kidnapping.
It said, "If you are in central and western Mindanao, you should consider leaving. If, despite our advice, you decide to visit central or western Mindanao, you should put in place robust measures to ensure your personal security."
God bless you, sweet reader, and may you have a long healthy life :-)
ReplyDeleteMaybe, I read something wrong, but Warren Rodwell never lived in Basilan. He married a local gal on Mindanao mainland in the Christian territory. Upon release, the rebels conveniently renamed the ransom, “boarding and lodging” expenses. The innocent little wife, Miraflor (Grace) Gutang, did NOT sell or raise any money herself, as she claimed, and now could be facing perjury charges in the Philippines.
After Rodwell returned to Australia (without her), Ms Gutang kept the new house in Ipil, Mindanao and the cash that was in it. He has since divorced her, denying any responsibility for the child she bore from a previous relationship.
One can only guess that Ms Gutang is back online searching for a new foreign "Joe". Hey, "Papa Joe" has a nice ring to it, as too does "Sugar Daddy".