Son Stranded After Mum 'kidnapped'

[Jollygoodfellow]

What do you think, I think its the family up to no good :th_thsmilies-29057: The son of a Canberra woman missing in the Philippines says he thinks his mother has been kidnapped.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed a 54-year-old woman from the ACT has been missing in the Philippines for more than a month.DFAT has not released the woman's name but a family friend and her son have identified her as Zenaida (Ada) Banham.She holds Australian and Philippine citizenship and has been missing since November 4. DFAT says the Australian embassy in Manila is in close contact with local police and the woman's next of kin.The Australian Ambassador to the Philippines has asked local authorities to give the investigation high priority. But her 18-year-old son, George Andrew Banham, remains in the Philippines and says authorities are doing little to help find his mother. Mr Banham says he was helping his mother build a house in Laguna south of Manila, a place where there are New People's Army (NPA) rebels. He says he thinks she has been kidnapped because of the money she was carrying with her. "The two bodyguards she's with, all their documents and her clothes, everything is gone - but all mum's stuff was still here - and they were spotted in her car two days later," he said. He says he is very concerned about his mother'swelfare."I just want to see my mum," he said.Mr Banham says local officials have not been cooperative."They're not doing anything - the police, the head of police, they haven't found any information," he said. "I've been getting all the information myself."Australian police haven't done anything either. The embassy hasn't helped much either."He says he has not heard from the embassy in about a week.Mr Banham says his mother's brothers and sisters are not interested in finding her."We have another block of land on the other side of the Philippines, it's 150 million peso here, convert it over that's $5 million Australian," he said. "They just want the money from that, they don't want to help, they've been trying to get the land."I'm trying to look for Mum and stop them taking what she owns here."Mr Banham says he is trying to raise money so he can get home.He says his passport, documents and money were with his mother when she disappeared.He says the Australian embassy will help him get a new passport but he needs money to pay for it."I'm trying to get money from friends in Australia to try and get a passport so I can go back to Australia again," he said.

[Old55]

Very sad.I agree, that young mans life is in danger too.

[tom_shor]

Yes it might be better for him to be quiet about this till he gets out of there. It is obviously a setup. If she has been missing a month and no ransom demand I doubt she is kidnapped. So he has been robbed and his passport stolen and the Australian Embassy won't give him a new one and help him get out of the country unless he can pay? What part of robbed do they not understand?