Torres of Puerto Rico crowned the pageant winner, Sushmita Sen of India. May 26 – Filemon Lagman, leader of Communist Party of the Philippines' (CPP) urban hit squad ABB, is arrested by the military in Quezon City. June June 5 – A conference on Indonesia's annexation of East Timor is held. June 8 – Abu Sayyaf Group extremists seize about 52 civilians on a highway in Isabela, Basilan, including 50 passengers of a convoy on the way to Lantawan, as well as Lamitan Roman Catholic priest Rev. Cirilo Nacorda; release all hostages but 36 Christians; 15 of them are shot dead and one escape. On June 13, twenty of those held will be freed after ransom money has paid to the captors, as Nacorda only remains in captivity. June 10 – Bomb attacks in Zamboanga City, perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group, kill 71 people. July July – Former members of the MNLF's Bangsa Moro Army kidnap city sports official So Kim Cheng in Davao City; despite closed negotiations, captors did not release the victim and later killed him instead after they learned of a group of operatives conducting own rescue attempt. July 4 – Conversion of Santiago in Isabela into an independent component city is ratified in a plebiscite by virtue of RA 7720, which has approved on May 5. The law would be repealed by RA 8528 in 1998, changing the status to a component city. In 1999, the Supreme Court would favor the earlier law. July 6 – Nancy Siscar, a 22-year-old elementary school teacher was raped and killed by brothers Jurry Andal, Ricardo Andal and Edwin Mendoza in Barangay Banoyo, San Luis, Batangas. August August 8 – Fr. Nacorda, having been turned over by ASG to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on July 26 as part of efforts for his freedom, is released unharmed, ending a hostage situation that has lasted for about two months. August – The Supreme Court declares the controversial VAT (value-added tax) Law legal, and rules as well that the enacted law does not interfering human rights. In response, the Energy Regulatory Board (ERB) later orders a rollback of gasoline prices by ₱1, and also orders the National Power Corporation to lower fuel price cost adjustment charges covering a 17-day period in the first quarter of the year. August 14 – A huge demonstration against birth control is held by hundreds