ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) - – Friends of an elderly businessman seized by suspected Islamic militants in the southern Philippines pleaded for his release Tuesday, saying his health was very fragile.
The emotional appeals came as authorities indicated they knew where Charles Reith, 72, a man of Swiss descent, may have been taken after being abducted from his beach-front home in the port city of Zamboanga on Sunday night.
"He has been sickly. We are appealing on the kidnappers to take immediate care of him and then free Mr Reith," said Al Alhabshi, a close friend and a business associate.
"He is suffering from pneumonia and is still recovering from a mild stroke two months ago," Alhabshi told AFP. "He needs his maintenance medicines."
Regional military chief Lieutenant General Benjamin Dolorfino said troops had received information as to the whereabouts of Reith but declined to disclose details.
"We have alerted the military units in the city and in nearby island provinces," Dolorfino told reporters.
"We have also intensified intelligence information (gathering) to determine which group is holding the victim."
Police said on Monday they suspected that the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf network was behind the kidnapping.
The Abu Sayyaf is on the US government's list of wanted foreign terrorist organisations and is blamed for the country's worst terrorist attacks, as well as a host of kidnappings for ransom in the southern Philippines.
Meanwhile, confusion surrounded Reith's nationality.
The national police chief and other policemen identified him on Monday as a Swiss-born businessman who had been living in the south for decades.
His friends, however, said he was born and raised in Zamboanga to a Swiss father who married a Filipina.
"He may have a foreign sounding name, but he was born and grew up here," Zamboanga city mayor Celso Lobregat told AFP. "We all want him back well and safe."
The Swiss embassy in Manila would not comment on the case on Tuesday.
