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CNN Sunday Morning

20 Tourists Kidnapped in Philippines

Aired May 27, 2001 - 08:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A search is on in the Philippines for 20 tourists kidnapped from a beach resort including two American missionaries. An air and sea search was launched around the island resort southwest of Manila and the head of the military says the kidnappers and their victims may have been located.

In a television interview with CNN Philippine journalist Cecilia Lazaro, she explains what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CECILIA LAZARO, JOURNALIST (voice-over): A group of 20 still unidentified men abducted 20 people from Dos Palmas, a luxury resort about an hour's boat ride from Puerto Princesa, the main island of Palawan in the south of the Philippines at dawn today. The 20 include two Americans, one Spaniard and 17 Filipinos, among them resort guests, two security men of the resort and a member of the kitchen staff.

Resort personnel said the men who arrived in an outrigger canoe spoke paosug (ph), a language used by the Muslims. The guests were allegedly taken from the cottages closest to the entrance of the resort.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Authorities say they may have spotted the kidnappers' boat headed toward Malaysia, but they have not yet confirmed that.

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