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RETIRED MARINE AND DAUGHTER KIDNAPPED IN THE PHILIPPINES
(I'm feeling angry)
Ex-Marine, daughter snatched near Manila
MANILA, Philippines - Gunmen kidnapped a retired U.S. Marine and his daughter from their Philippine home, but released the ex-serviceman three hours later after demanding a ransom for her safe return, police said Monday.
On Sunday night, four armed men barged into the house of Filipino-American Ver Loyola in the resort city of Tagaytay, south of Manila, and drove away with the man and his daughter, a report from the regional police office said. Their ages were not disclosed.
Three hours later, the kidnappers abandoned Loyola and the car in a nearby town but demanded ransom for the daughter, a police official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.
He said the kidnappers were demanding $67,400 for her release, adding the case was handled by the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response, a special unit.
Senior Superintendent Hernando Zafra, the provincial police chief, said there was a robbery at the family's home before the former serviceman and daughter were snatched. He refused to provide details of what was taken. It was not clear if the kidnappers were also involved in the robbery.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in the Philippines but are mostly confined to the violence-torn south.
Police officials say they have neutralized most kidnapping gangs in Manila and nearby provinces, with only a handful still operating.
Earlier this month, police arrested and filed kidnapping and murder charges against a police officer who allegedly confessed to abducting a retired pilot and his driver near Tagaytay. The victims were later found dead.
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