Pregnant woman survives 24 stab wounds in Philippines

MANILA - A pregnant woman in the Philippines has survived 24 stab wounds in an attack allegedly led by two police officers facing robbery and extortion charges, police said Friday.

Grace Capistrano, 22, was a witness in the case against the two police officers, the regional police chief said.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said the two suspects have been taken into custody, while manhunt operations were launched against two accomplices.

Capistrano told investigators that four suspects abducted her from her house in Angono town in Rizal province, 30 km east of Manila, Tuesday.

They then taped her hands and mouth and stabbed her in different parts of her body, shot her once in the leg and then dumped her in a ravine, apparently thinking she was already dead.

But Capistrano was able to crawl her way up to the road where a driver of a passing cargo truck spotted her and brought her to a police station.

The police then took her to a hospital for treatment. Her baby also survived the ordeal, police said.