Kidnappers free teenage student

After four days of captivity, kidnappers released a 16-year-old Filipino-American student of the International School in Cagayan de Oro, southern Philippines, a radio report said, even as abductors demanded P60 million for the release of the two children of Congressman Jules Ledesma IV, and four teachers of Mindanao State University were kidnapped.

In the case of the teenager, Starlze Lumapas, the kidnappers earlier demanded a P15 million ($288,461) ransom, but this was reduced to P5 million ($96,153), said police chief superintendent Rudy Caisip.

The kidnappers called up the relatives of Lumapas at 6am and told them the latter would be found on a highway near Bulua town in Cagayan de Oro.

The police and the military recovered him after 7am.

It is not known if ransom money was paid to the kidnappers. Their identities were not released. There were no details available from the U.S. embassy regarding the release.

Six gunmen kidnapped Lumapas while he was on his way to school on September 10, police reports said.

The Philippine national police in northern Mindanao confirmed that an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had been closely coordinating with local policemen on the kidnapping.

Meanwhile, kidnappers have demanded P60 million ($1.153 million) for the safe release of the two children of Congressman Jules Ledesma IV, who were abducted on Friday in broad daylight in suburban San Juan, a radio report said.

"The caller said the ransom would be P30 million ($576,923) each for Cristina Julieta Victoria, 10, and Julio Carlos Thomas, 5," said the report. There were no other details such as the date of the ransom payment and the proof given by the abductors that the Ledesma children are still alive.

Neighbours of the victims said that suspicious looking vans had been watching the house of the congressman days before his children were kidnapped, said Teresita Ang See, head of Citizens Action Against Crime, a crime watch-dog.

"This should be a wake-up call for the community not to let their guard down despite a lull in kidnapping last August," said Ang-See.

Ang-See added that the members of the Filipino-Chinese community, who are usual victims of kidnappers, will continue to seek protection from the police. "There is a strong sign that the kidnappers will victimise prominent and ordinary people," said Ang-See.

The government was caught flat-footed by the kidnapping which occurred at 7.45am when the children were on their way to school in San Juan.

Local Government Secretary Jose Lina promised that the identities of the kidnappers would be released soon.

Lina and Ang See discounted rumours which said that police officials, who were affected by the recent revamp in the Philippine national police, might be behind the abduction of the Ledesma children.

The incident was clearly meant to embarrass President Gloria Arroyo, said analysts.