MANILA, Sept. 13, 2013— Rogue Muslim rebels seeking to declare an independent state let go a Catholic priest Friday after holding him hostage for five days.
Fr. Michael Ufana was reportedly released 7am Friday, a day after the government warned the Moro National Liberation Front that it would not hesitate to use force against them to resolve the crisis.
Ufana was with his parents who were celebrating their wedding anniversary when the MNLF took them in Brgy. Sta. Catalina.
Msgr. Crisolgo Manongas, current administrator of the Archdiocese of Zamboanga, said Ufana is now in the custody of the local police in Camp Batalla, Zamboanga City while undergoing debriefing.
It is not clear how Ufana was released, but it is understood he walked along a street and was met by authorities.
The standoff erupted last Monday after the rebels infiltrated some villages in Zamboanga City and took more than a hundred civilian other hostages. (CBCPNews)
