December 29, 1995, Seattle Times News Services / AP, Kidnappers Threaten To Kill U.S. Captives

December 29, 1995, Seattle Times News Services / AP, Kidnappers Threaten To Kill U.S. Captives,  (Madhatta Asagal Haipe) 

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines - Gunmen holding a California family and another U.S. couple threatened yesterday to begin killing them and seven other hostages if they don't get their ransom.

The kidnappers are demanding $57,700 for the 13 captives, who were abducted while vacationing at a resort on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.

About 20 armed men showed up Wednesday at the Trankiling Falls Spring Resort and forced the six U.S. residents and seven Filipinos to go to a mountain hideout, police said.

Officials identified four as Gloria San Gabriel, 35; her husband Noel, 34; daughter Arlene, 10; and son Chrys, 5, all of California. They were guests of a General Santos family that took them to the resort for the day. The two other U.S. residents were identified as Noel and Helen Roque. No further details were given.

Four tribesmen who work for the resort also were seized but were released later Wednesday to relay the kidnappers' demands.

Yesterday, one of the tribesmen told negotiators sent by the nearby city of General Santos that the kidnappers threatened to kill one of the hostages if they did not get the money, the mayor's office in General Santos said. The kidnappers refused to meet directly with negotiators.

Bandits and rebel groups frequently take hostages in the southern Philippines to make money from ransom payments.

Police said they believe the kidnappers are members of Abu Sayyaf, a rebel group of Islamic extremists suspected in previous abductions on Mindanao. (Madhatta Asagal Haipe)