Manila: An eight-year-old boy who was kidnapped in August 2016 in Sulu by the Abu Sayyaf, was recovered by authorities on Monday, an official announced.
Rexon Romoc was in high spirits when he was turned over to his parents on Tuesday, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said.
“President [Rodrigo] Duterte, who was on top of our recovery efforts, witnessed the reunion in Malacanang. It has been a long ordeal. Rexon was kidnapped by armed men together with his parents on August 5, 2016. They were brought to Sulu by their kidnappers,” he said.
Rexon and his father, Elmer and mother, Nora, were taken by the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga Sibugay. They were eventually brought to Sulu.
“Nora was released on August 22 after paying some small amount to their captors. Upon being released, she then sold everything they owned including their “sari sari” store (general store) and borrowed money from friends and relatives to pay for the release of Elmer and Rexon. On November 15, the father was released but the captors did not release the boy and continued to keep him hostage,” Dureza said.
He added that Former Sulu Gov Sakur Tan, his son now incumbent Totoh Tan, as well as other well-meaning Tausugs provided the needed assistance that helped in the release of Rexon.
From Sulu, Dureza accompanied the boy to Manila and turned him over to his parents Elmer and Nora after a medical check-up conducted by Dr. Rose Liquete, chief of the National Kidney & Transplant Institute in Quezon City.
According to Dureza, Rexon would be marking his 9th birthday on March 30.
“It was an early birthday gift to Rexon,” he said.
The release of the young Romoc followed the execution of an elderly Abu Sayyaf hostage, German Juergen Kantner.
The 70-year-old sailing enthusiast was abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in November 2016 together with his partner, Sabine Merz.
Merz was said to have died after she was shot by the gunmen, who pounced on their sailboat, the “Rockall” as the small yacht was traversing the sea between Tawi Tawi and Sabah, Malaysia.
In 2009, the couple had survived being kidnapped by pirates prowling the Gulf of Aden.
Kantner was executed Sunday afternoon after the deadline set by the Abu Sayyaf for the P30 million they are demanding for the release of the German, lapsed.
The military has intensified its operations to prevent further kidnappings in the Sulu-Basilan-Zamboanga peninsula area.
It had fielded as many as 10,000 soldiers in pursuit of the kidnappers who had taken to kidnap and ransom as a means to finance their terror activities in the Western Mindanao area.
