Kidnapped American Released in Philippines

(Iloilo City, Philippines) An unnamed retired American Civil Service employee with a Filipina companion were kidnapped by three unidentified men Monday at a beach resort on the island of Panay. They were released six hours later after a $30,000 ransom was paid. The kidnappers also stole their car and some jewelry.

This incident is not major news, but it is a prime example of a common crime throughout the islands of the Philippines. Kidnapping for ransom is regularly practiced by several well-known Filipino criminal gangs and that's likely what occurred to the American. However, some of the many gangs have ties to al-Qaeda cells and that fact makes them worth watching very closely.