Former world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao was the alleged target of a kidnap attempt. The
Philippines president, Benigno Aquino III, has said that Abu Sayyaf
militants were plotting to take Pacquiao as part of a terror plot.
Aquino was also a target himself as part of a murder plot, while the Muslim militants also wanted to explode bombs in the capital city of Manila in a bid to get funding from the Islamic State group.
However, the plans were uncovered and troops have acted to reduce Abu Sayyaf's ability to cause harm.
Aquino says that the terrorists have posed as Islamic freedom fighters but “have behaved as criminals focused on enriching themselves by taking hostages for ransom."
He continued: "They allegedly even hatched plots to kidnap Manny Pacquiao or one of his children, as well as my sister Kris or one of her children, with the plan to use them in bargaining for the release of their cohorts."
Aquino will stand down from his six-year terms as president in June but has vowed “to devote all my energies” to ensure that extremists would be “at the very least... a very seriously degraded problem”.
“Threats against my own life have been investigated,” he added.
Pacquiao confirmed his retirement from boxing earlier this month after defeating Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas.
Aquino was also a target himself as part of a murder plot, while the Muslim militants also wanted to explode bombs in the capital city of Manila in a bid to get funding from the Islamic State group.
However, the plans were uncovered and troops have acted to reduce Abu Sayyaf's ability to cause harm.
Aquino says that the terrorists have posed as Islamic freedom fighters but “have behaved as criminals focused on enriching themselves by taking hostages for ransom."
He continued: "They allegedly even hatched plots to kidnap Manny Pacquiao or one of his children, as well as my sister Kris or one of her children, with the plan to use them in bargaining for the release of their cohorts."
Aquino will stand down from his six-year terms as president in June but has vowed “to devote all my energies” to ensure that extremists would be “at the very least... a very seriously degraded problem”.
“Threats against my own life have been investigated,” he added.
Pacquiao confirmed his retirement from boxing earlier this month after defeating Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas.
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