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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 1 Feb) – Two European tourists and their Filipino tour guide were seized Wednesday afternoon by gunmen in the province of Tawi-tawi, a top police official disclosed.
Tawi-tawi police director Senior Supt. Rodelio Jocson identified the victims as Ewold Horn, 52, of Holland; Lorenzo Vinciguerre, 47, from Switzerland; and tour guide Ivan Sarenas, of Davao City.
Jocson disclosed that the victims were aboard a motorized banca and were taking pictures of “rare bird species” around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday off shore Sitio Luuk-Luuk, Barangay Parangan, Panglima Sugala town, when the five gunmen aboard another motorized banca arrived and seized the Europeans and their guide at gunpoint.
Jocson disclosed that a policeman and a village councilor who were escorting the tourists failed to stop the gunmen since they were unarmed.
Jocson and Tawi-tawi Governor Sadikul Sahali are in Panglima Sugala town personally leading the search for the victims. (MindaNews)