Suspected pirates kidnap 3 crewmen in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – Suspected pirates have abducted the skipper and two crewmen of a tugboat and barge that took shelter in the southern Philippines in bad weather, officials said Sunday.

The government sent navy gunboats and soldiers to hunt the suspected nine pirates who raided the inter-island barge Salvmar-II and its tugboat at Siocon Bay in Zamboanga del Norte province late Saturday, coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said.

The Salvmar-II and its tugboat, on a domestic run with unspecified cargo, had anchored due to bad weather. The pirates forcibly took the skipper, Capt. Felipe Miranda, chief mate Cecilio Layasan and chief engineer Radsiem Tanong, Tamayo said.

They also stole the vessels' GPS device, two-way radio and the crewmen's mobile phones, Tamayo said.

No group has claimed responsibility and there has been no sign of the involvement of Muslim guerrillas, who are active in the area.

The coast guard has warned commercial vessels to take precautions in Zamboanga del Norte, about 500 miles (810 kilometers) south of Manila.

Piracy and kidnappings have long been a concern in the volatile region. Suspected Muslim rebels abducted an ailing Irish priest in Pagadian city near Zamboanga del Norte on Oct. 11 and freed him about a month later amid a massive military manhunt.