(Satellite image by Google Maps at http://www.maps.google.com used here for educational, non-commercial purposes under the terms of service of said site. Basilan, site of the kidnap, is the spot marked with a small red balloon with the letter “A” inside. You can close the dialog balloon by clicking the “x” of the balloon. You can zoom in by clicking the + sign or plus sign at the left-hand corner of the image; you can zoom in by as much as four times and see the color of roofs of houses; zoom out by clicking the – sign or minus sign; you can pan, or move across the image, by clicking any of the arrows at the left-hand corner of the image. When you zoom in, you have to pan downwards to still see Basilan. The satellite image is of course not real-time.)
The Baselco kidnap hostages, four employees of the Basilan Electric Cooperative, have been released, thanks to the local government negotiating committee led by Basilan Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakahalul. According to the media, the kidnappers were widely believed to be ASG. While the police and local government authorities have a tried-and-tested formula for handling kidnap-for-ransom situations, there are no guarantees.
Apparently, in many instances, silent negotiations can be productive while heightening the publicity raises the ransom demand; i don’t know; as i said, the police have their “tried and tested” methods. Concerned friends and groups who call the attention of the public while the kidnap is on-going, do so only because they feel, or they think, or they can see, that government authorities may not do enough or are not doing anything if/ because there is not enough public pressure on government to do its job. On the other hand, those who prefer silent negotiations, most of the time family members and close friends, are too afraid to make a mistake where a loved one’s life is at stake.
In the first few hours, or first few days where you need to establish communication lines with the captors of your loved ones, you’ll probably have to do a silent search by activating or mobilizing all, any, and whatever contacts you may have. But when no communication lines open in the first few hours or first few days (please don’t ask me how many hours or days, i don’t have a formula, i’m just basing this on former clients who’ve had missing relatives); when no communication lines open in the first few hours, or first few days, the longer you keep quiet without getting any info, the farther away your missing loved one would be; in other words, the possibility of finding him/her becomes more remote; so the family members have to decide when it’s time to raise hell when no useful information is forthcoming.
Handling kidnap for ransom is different from handling missing relatives who are politically active, and whom you think are in the hands of government security forces (as documented by Amnesty Internationale).
Apparently, in this country, the kidnap-for-ransom gangs can be talked with, can be bargained with, can be given something in exchange for the hostage; but will behead the hostage if negotiations fall through.
Government security forces who snatch activists as documented by Amnesty Internationale on the other hand operate under a veneer of “anti-communist ideology” and “anti-communist self-righteousness” that they think are non-negotiable, and think nothing of “disappearing” their captives.
The first are lawless elements, the second think they are above the law.
The first can be wiped out by professional law-enforcement: systematic gathering of intel information, identification, pursuit, arrests, etc. The second, when it is unofficially abetted by government, can be resolved only by the abatement of the regime that enables it.
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RE-ABDUCTION OF CES DRILON
The kidnapping of ABS-CBN reporter recently in Sulu is another sad experience involving media personalities being taken hostage by terrorists particularly the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
In the year 2000, a number of media people were abducted by the same group also in the same province. The Abu Sayyaf abducted a group of French journalist and crew members. Months later, Maan Macapagal and her crew member were abducted by Muin and Majindi in Patikul on their way back to Jolo after a meeting with ASG spokesman Abu Sabaya.
The ASG confirmed the payment of five million pesos by ABS-CBN although authorities denied having paid any ransom for their release. A member of Raddulan Sahiron admitted the payment of five million pesos.
Last month’s abduction of Ces Drilon and her companions was a replay and repetition of the previous incidents in Sulu. People are impressed of the courage of these media people risking their lives just to give people a very relevant story and information, interviewing ASG leaders that they know do not respect such thing as Geneva Convention.
Who actually planned for it and who are the people involved are still being investigated by authorities although some facts have been established, that among others, the alleged “surrender” letter of Raddulan Sahiron brought by one Alshied “Habib” Albani to the DOJ was the “bait” taken heartily by ABS-CBN reporter as a genuine surrender feeler from the highest and most senior leader of the Sulu ASG.
Had media people conducted some consultation with those knowledgeable on the ASG (particularly those who had been in the organization before like Abu Muslim and acquainted with official letters coming from ASG leaders) the abduction could have avoided.
Albani is known as a money-maker. He is known to the ASG as “Habib Bukag”, who loves to make some things happen where he can gain material benefit out of it.
During the abduction of Jeffrey Schilling by the Abu Sayyaf Group, Albani contacted media people bringing letters from the ASG authorizing him to transact business with government officials and media people. He profited much on this, gained material benefits from the terrorist group and likewise from the media and government people.
He is also the same guy who was arrested in Manila together with Hector Janjalani in 2001 and was later released.
In the abduction of Ces Drilon, Albani is among those players who connived with some other people in Sulu to convince media people to come and then to be abducted.
Ces Drilon went to Sulu to possibly interview Sulu ASG leader Raddulan Sahiron. She was escorted by an MSU professor Octavio Dinampo and brought to the place by another Tausug companion, Mameng Biyaw, who called on the abductors using the phone of Drilon minutes before the abduction took place. Biyaw did not go with the group to the mountain instead he went back to Jolo.
The actual kidnapping was executed by few armed Tausugs led by one Abu Haris, known to be a follower of Raddulan Sahiron although many of the members of his group are young recruits.
Another valuable information and is relevant in the abduction incident, is the alleged relationship of Abu Haris and Indanan mayor Alvarez Isnaji. The former is allegedly the nephew of Mayor Isnaji.
During the efforts undertaken by authorities for the release of Ces Drilon, Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, and Sulu Vice-governor Lady Ann Sahidullah acted as the negotiators. The ransom money was brought to them. In fact, one source confirmed the vice-governor taking pictures of the five million pesos in her house before it was delivered to mayor Isnaji then to the abductors, resulting to the release of one of the crewmen of Drilon.
The abductors refused to release the remaining hostages including Ces Drilon until the payment of another fifteen million pesos few days later. During the last hours of the negotiation, Indanan Mayor Isnaji was furious and even shouting on top of his voice to the people from the government (PSUPT Winnie Quidato, the chief police of Jolo). Isnaji was heard telling the group “Do not dictate me what should be done. In this place, no one can ever tell me what I should do!”
One source revealed that Isnaji, a former MNLF commander in Sulu based in Indanan town has moral ascendancy over the abductors and the people of Indanan. He is in control of the place and armed groups in Indanan are in contact with him.
Isnaji’s elder son Khan was also known to have fetched the duffel bags containing the ransom money brought by a lawyer aboard the Seair plane. Another source said that an amount of one million was deposited in the bank account of one of the mayor’s son before the release of the hostages.
Mayor Alvarez Isnaji aspiring for a gubernatorial position in the province of Sulu in the ARMM election comes the month of August this year. His share of the ransom money would be a great factor for winning in the election. This also the reason why Isnaji was in a hurry to have the money delivered to him.
During the release of the hostages, the military ordered Mayor Isnaji and his son to come with the authorities. One source in the ASG revealed that the ASG were alarmed of the arrest of Isnaji. The group expressed their concern over the highest local official of Indanan.
A senior ranking leader of the ASG in Sulu also confirmed that of the remaining balance of fifteen million pesos, only twelve million was delivered to the group. The remaining three million was kept by the mayor as his share of the ransom money.
If we continue paying this bandits, with special coverage of actual negotiation over million Pilipino People Nation wide, they only gain support and popularity from other muslim region. Special coverage by ABS-CBN news gave them chance to be more popular and ambitiuos, they take every moving object in the area and turn it into huge amount of cash. The ABS payed 20million cash but they gain 250 million from advertisemen and exclusive interview, report and many more. Actually its a very good bussines from all of concern specially politician, that they gain free advertisement, popularity, for every kidnapping politician is the official negociator. What happened to this country? When the time comes Phil. will be the kidnapping Center of the World.
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