MANILA - GUNMEN have kidnapped an elderly Swiss-born man from his home in the restive southern Philippines, police said on Monday.
Charlie Reith, 72, who is a naturalised Filipino, was abducted from his house in the port city of Zamboanga while he was drinking with German friends on Sunday night, local police said in a statement.
The eight gunmen escaped aboard three boats with Mr Reith, the statement said.
The statement gave no details as to the motive but Muslim rebels and bandits frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom in Zamboanga and other parts of the volatile southern Philippines' Mindanao region.
The Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines' history, is the most infamous group that operates in Mindanao and is well-known for kidnapping foreigners as well as locals. However there are many small groups of bandits who similarly kidnap people assumed to have money in the hope of securing ransom payments.
A local policeman, who asked not to be named, said the gunmen who abducted Mr Reith were seen speeding away in the direction of Basilan island, a well-known Abu Sayyaf lair but also home to other bandits. He said Mr Reith was believed to be married to a Filipina and had been living in the Philippines for decades. -- AFP
