ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 6 Aug) – A Malaysian national, who was kidnapped almost nine months ago along with a companion, escaped early Tuesday from captivity in the hands of suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu, a police official announced.
Tung Wee Jie, 26, was recovered by patrolling policemen around 7 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Pasil, Indanan municipality, according to Senior Supt. Abraham Orbita, Sulu police director.
Orbita said Tung claimed to have managed to escape “while his captors were pre-occupied.”
Tung, together with cousin Tung Wee Fie, 33, was kidnapped Nov. 13 last year from an oil palm plantation in Lahad Datu, Sabah.
His cousin, however, died of sickness while in captivity, Orbita quoted the escaped Malaysian as saying.
Tung was the assistant plantation manager while his late cousin was the manager at the time they were abducted.
Orbita said in a text message that the group of SPO1 Baltazar Sawabi was conducting security patrol when they spotted Tung wandering along the highway in Barangay Pasil in Indanan.
He said Tung was immediately taken to the provincial police headquarters in Jolo and was subjected to medical check-up.
Orbita said Tung has apparently lost weight and has so many rashes from mosquito bites although “generally he is in good health.”