Three people who were reportedly kidnapped in the northern Philippines were not Chinese but Chinese-Filipino business executives, police confirmed Monday.

A local police officer told Xinhua that the three, who were kidnapped on their way home in a car to Tanza of Cavite province on Saturday by a group of unidentified armed men, were not from China but the locals.

One of the hostages, identified as Patterson Ngo, however, managed to escape and reported to the police, and another two havereportedly returned home.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Rosales, Cavite police chief, said that the armed men could have been car thieves, not kidnappers, who got alarmed when Patterson escaped.

Source: Xihua