Two lending firm employees were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Sumisip town, Basilan province, police said Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar, Basilan police director, said Leah Patris and Ammad Sali Illang, employees of Kasanyangan Foundation Inc. Lending Company based in Maluso town, were snatched by three unidentified gunmen in Barangay Limbu Candiis, around 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Macapantar said the victims' companion Nashra Mujain was able to escape from the kidnappers. He said the three were collecting money for the lending firm in the remote village when they were snatched by the bandits.

He said the suspects also took the victims' collection amounting to P50,000.

Macapantar said policemen and Philippine Marines personnel were pursuing the kidnappers. He said they have information that the kidnappers have brought the victims to the hinterlands of Sampinit Complex, still in Sumisip town, which is a known lair of the dreaded Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

The incident followed the kidnapping of Chinese trader Dionghan Que in Sulu province on Monday afternoon. He was on his way home to Barangay Kakuyagan in Jolo town when the kidnappers took him.

Police said that a Tamaraw-type passenger vehicle reportedly used in the abduction was recovered in Barangay Tagbak in Indanan town.

The kidnappings took place while police and military units in Mindanao were on high alert due to the abduction of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) members Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni and Mary Jean Lacaba.

The ICRC volunteers were kidnapped last January 15 near the Sulu provincial capitol in Patikul town.

Military officials believe the kidnappers are members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, which has alleged links to international terror groups.

Rogue MILF members helping kidnappers

On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. accused some "rogue" members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of helping kidnap-for-ransom groups operating in Zamboanga City and Basilan.

Teodoro said the military has evidence that would corroborate the allegation of connivance between MILF members and the kidnappers.

The defense secretary said he has instructed military officials in Basilan to continue the pursuit operations against the kidnappers, who are allegedly using MILF camps as their sanctuary to elude pursuing security forces.

He said they will consider no sacred territory in the campaign against criminal elements. If necessary, he said government troops will have to raid MILF camps in order to arrest kidnappers or even rescue abducted victims, if possible. -- With a report from Leila Vicente, ABS-CBN Zamboanga