Marawi Mayor rescued three groups of kidnap victims

Marawi City- First time in the history of kidnapping incident, a government official successfully rescued three groups of kidnap victims in one day. Marawi City Mayor Sultan Fahad  "Pre" Salic rescued three groups of kidnap victims in Lanao del Sur last night after a long days of negotiations. Lanao del Sur Police provincial director Pssupt Pedrito de los Reyes identified kidnap victims as Shiela Mae Vidal, 18 years old, a second year student of College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and a resident of Butuan City; and Alcher Balicuatro, 19 years old, 1st year student of College of Agriculture, and a resident of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte who were abducted by four unidentified armed men around 8 a.m. of December 7. Edgar Cuajao who was also abducted in Cagayan de Oro early this week and a certain Eufemia Trocio  who was also abducted last November 3. Yesterday, Salic, after turning over Cuajao to City mayor Vicente Emano of Cagayan de Oro who looked exhausted told reporters that he was grateful to local officials of Lanao del Sur for helping him identified abductors .Cuajao was brought to Lumba Bayabao after he was abducted in Cagayan de Oro City . He also disclosed that Mindanao State University (MSU) officials should seriously considers the safety of its students now to avoid the same incident in the future.     The mayor also said that the victims were not brought to Marawi City as earlier reported but instead to Lanao del Sur and said "It was indeed an opportunity and grateful for giving me the trust and confident to work  and to facilitate the released of the kidnap victims".   Mayor Emano in his part said that the residents of Cagayan de Oro City were also grateful to Mayor Salic for his never ending assistance to them. Brigadier Gen. Rey Ardo, commander of the Army's 103rd Brigade, Vidal and Baricuatro were released around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, saying the two were held in the hinterlands of Piagapo, Lanao del Sur province. " The safe release of the students was a result of a series of military and police search and rescue operations as well as constant negotiations initiated by Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic, chairman of the Crisis Management Committee (CMC)",Ardo said. Vidal and Baricuatro were on their way to their boarding house along 5th Street, Mindanao State University (MSU) campus in Marawi City when they were abducted.