Mobile Alerts  Newsletter  Archives  About Us  Advertise with Us Twitter GMANews.TV Facebook GMANews.TV RSS GMANews.TV
Regional

Kidnapped Yemeni national freed in Marawi City

A Yemeni missionary who was seized by armed men in the southern Philippine city of Marawi last month had been released by his abductors, a military official said on Monday.

Brig, Gen. Rey Ardo, commander of the military forces in Lanao del Sur province, said Najib Al Odaini was released at 3 a.m. at the boundary of Talakag in Bukidnon and Tagoloan II in Lanao del Sur. The 34-year-old victim was kidnapped last Jan. 2.

Odaini was brought to Cagayan de Oro for a medical checkup immediately after his release, which Ardo said was a result of the police and the military’s search and rescue operations and negotiations led by the provincial government and a crisis management committee.

Odaini was a member of the Markazoss Habab Al Muslim Filfilibbin Inc (Muslim Youth Center in the Phil), a United Arab Emirates-based Muslim religious organization that has been serving Lanao del Sur for more than 31 years.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Faisah Dumarpah said Odaini was “instrumental in charitable works in the province" like the construction of mosques and giving his help in building educational institutions.

About seven gunmen posing as policemen abducted Odaini in Old Capitol, Barangay Matampay in Marawi City. The victim's driver said the suspects immobilized him by handcuffing in their vehicle’s steering wheel. - Sophia Dedace/KBK, GMANews.TV
Other Regions stories
Andal Sr: My big problem is my arthritis
03/21/2010 | 10:12 PM
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Andal Ampatuan Sr., patriarch of a powerful Muslim clan blamed for the grisly massacre of more than 50 people in Maguindanao last year, appears to be slowly adapting to... More
Illegal mining breeds child labor, prostitution in Diplahan
03/21/2010 | 05:53 PM
ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR — The illegal mining trade in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay is not only threatening the environment and the health of its people, but also breeding other... More
Sulu bets sign peace covenant, vow clean polls
03/21/2010 | 03:19 PM
SULU, Philippines – Local politicians on Sunday signed a peace covenant and pledged to support the government’s campaign for peace, orderly and honest elections. More
Abu Sayyaf gunmen kill 2 Filipino militiamen
03/21/2010 | 02:59 PM
Government troops chased down a group of Abu Sayyaf militants who killed two government militiamen in the southern Philippines, seriously wounding a leading militant blamed for deadly attacks and... More
Finding out who Tarlac’s presidential favorite is—in five easy steps
03/21/2010 | 03:08 AM
CONCEPCION, Tarlac—Tarlaquenos of this almost-urbanized town are divided on whom to vote in the May 10 polls, while others are still undecided. This, GMANews.TV found out Saturday by doing a very... More
Bongbong ‘at home’ in Tarlac
03/21/2010 | 02:39 AM
TARLAC CITY— Unlike Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno Aquino III and his sister, actress and TV host Kris Aquino, who appeared apprehensive when they visited Ilocos Norte recently,... More
Mindanao evacuees in the dark about elections, docu project bares
03/20/2010 | 09:04 PM
Many people living in evacuation centers in war-torn areas of Mindanao don’t know a lot about the upcoming May 10 elections, a Church-led documentation project revealed recently. More
Foreigners can no longer be crucified in Pampanga
03/20/2010 | 07:17 PM
Foreigners can still watch, but can no longer join in. Local officials of a Pampanga village have banned foreigners this year from participating in its reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion every... More
Mindanao refugees issue so complex — UN body
03/20/2010 | 08:12 AM
The displacement of Mindanao residents due to fighting between government forces and secessionist rebels has become a complex situation, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has admitted. More
7 suspects in Cebu gang rape fall — report
03/19/2010 | 04:43 PM
Seven suspects linked to the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl and the killing of her boyfriend in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu province in central Philippines were finally arrested, a radio report said... More
ADVERTISEMENT
Coop eyes revival of onion exports to Japan
2010-03-21 16:41:04
Local onion stakeholders are planning to revive exports to Japan, members of the National Onion...
Cebu, Pampanga provinces move to prevent repeat of Holy Week 'scandals'
2010-03-20 10:27:20
With Holy Week fast approaching, authorities in Cebu and Pampanga provinces have made moves to...
Pinoy programmers highlight SF Game Developers Convention
2010-03-21 04:27:09
Filipino software developers are "game" and ready to make a splash in the multibillion-dollar...
PEP: Richard Gutierrez promises to look after Nomar Pardo's children
2010-03-20 22:38:53
Nagdaos ng isang Misa ang Gutierrez family nitong Biyernes bilang pasasalamat sa mga blessings na...