Gunmen free remaining kidnapped victim in Basilan island

ISABELA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 31, 2008) – Kidnappers freed a nine-year old girl late Wednesday after more than a month in captivity in Basilan island in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said Nicole Raveche, seized by gunmen Nov. 26 in Lamitan City, was released in the village of Languyan in Tuburan town at around 10 p.m. after a series of negotiations by local government officials and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

“The girl is now with her family and we are glad it’s finally over. Many people helped in the negotiations for the safe release of the girl,” said Nick Castro, an aide to Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay, who heads the local Crisis Management Committee.

Other sources said Raveche’s family paid an unspecified amount of money to the kidnappers for the girl’s “board and lodging.” The kidnappers originally demanded six million pesos ransom.

On Tuesday, gunmen also freed a kidnapped four-year old girl, Andrea Diman, in Tuburan town, two days after she was snatched in Lamitan City.

Furigay also negotiated for the girl’s safe release. No ransom was paid for her freedom, the mayor said. A former mayor of Tuburan town, Hajarun Jamiri, helped Furigay secure the release of Diman.

But the military has claimed credit for the girl’s release, saying, the kidnappers were freed because of the ongoing offensive against Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan.

Just recently, Abu Sayyaf kidnappers also released a kidnapped nursing student, Joed Pilangga, after more than two months in captivity in Basilan.

The 17-year old Pilangga was kidnapped Oct. 17 in Zamboanga City and brought by boat to Basilan, where his kidnappers demanded P20 million ransoms for his safe release. Police and military tagged the Abu Sayyaf as behind the kidnapping.

Early this month, gunmen also kidnapped seven construction workers in Basilan, but freed all of them a week later after Furigay negotiated for their release.

Two more people were people were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on December 2 near Maluso town also in Basilan, but they had been freed three days later.

Close to two dozen people had been kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants headed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri in recent months and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms.

The sudden rise in kidnappings and spate of terrorist attacks in Basilan had been blamed to ransoms collected by the Abu Sayyaf, which was used to purchase more weapons and recruit new members. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kidnapped girl freed, another still being held captive by Sayyaf in Basilan Island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 30, 2008) – Gunmen freed Tuesday a four-year old girl they kidnapped in the southern Filipino island of Basilan, officials said.

Officials said Andrea Diman was released at around 1 p.m. in the village called Sinulatan in Tuburan town, two days after she was kidnapped in Lamitan City by two motorcycle men.

“There was no ransom or money paid to the kidnappers and the girl is finally reunited with her family,” Nick Castro, an aide of Lamitan Mayor Roderick Furigay, told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said Furigay tapped former Tuburan Mayor Hajarun Jamiri to help in getting back the girl. “The former mayor is still influential in Tuburan and he was tapped to recover the girl without anything in return,” Castro said.

But Jamiri was linked by authorities to the bombing in the House of Representatives in November last year that killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. He denied all accusations against him.

Castro said on order of Furigay, the girl was

No other details were made available about the release of the girl, but Jamiri is a brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Nur Hassan Jamiri, who was tagged by the police and military as behind the spate of kidnappings-for-ransom in Basilan in recent months.

It was unknown whether the Abu Sayyaf was behind the kidnapping of Diman, but Castro said the girl’s family is poor.

“The kidnappers thought the girl’s family are wealthy, but there are not. We hope the kidnappings in Basilan would stop,” he said.

Diman was snatched by two men as she was playing with other children Sunday night near a park in Lamitan City, where kidnappers also snatched a nine-year old girl, Nicole Raveche, on Nov. 26.

No group or individuals claimed responsibility for the Diman kidnapping, although authorities suspect the Abu Sayyaf as behind it.Meanwhile, Raveche's kidnappers have asked six million pesos in exchange for her safe release.

Just recently, Abu Sayyaf kidnappers freed a nursing student, Joed Pilangga, after more than two months in captivity in Basilan.

The 17-year old Pilangga was kidnapped Oct. 17 in Zamboanga City and brought by boat to Basilan, where his kidnappers demanded P20 million ransoms for his safe release. Police and military tagged the Abu Sayyaf as behind the kidnapping.

Early this month, gunmen also kidnapped seven construction workers in Basilan, but freed all of them a week later after Furigay negotiated for their release.

Two more people were people were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen on December 2 near Maluso town also in Basilan, but they had been freed three days later.

Close to two dozen people had been kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants headed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri in recent months and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms.

The sudden rise in kidnappings and spate of terrorist attacks in Basilan had been blamed to ransoms collected by the Abu Sayyaf. The money had been used to purchase weapons and recruit members, according to military reports. (Mindanao Examiner)

Filipino girl seized in Basilan Island

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Seaman's daughter kidnapped in Basilan island

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 26, 2008) – Unidentified motorcycle gunmen snatched late Wednesday a nine-year daughter of a Filipino seaman in the southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said.

The girl, identified as Nicole Rabeche, was seized at gunpoint from her mother at around 7 p.m. near their house in Lamitan City. The kidnappers escaped with their victim on motorbikes, according to local government officials.

No group claimed responsibility for the latest abduction, but Basilan has been plagued by a series of kidnappings for ransom in recent months. Provincial and regional police officials ignored phone calls from journalists.

More than a dozen people had been kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan, including two aid workers, and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms.

The Abu Sayyaf is still holding the son of a another seaman, Joed Pilangga, a nursing student kidnapped Oct. 17 outside their house in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan. Kidnappers have demanded P20 million from Pilangga's family.

The locals blamed the police and military authorities for their failure to secure the safety of the civilians.

An Abu Sayyaf faction, headed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, were largely blamed for the kidnappings. They also sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam.

A Catholic clergy, Bishop Martin Jumoad, also blamed the police and military for the breakdown of peace and order in Basilan after receiving also a signed letter from the Abu Sayyaf threatening his group. The clergy earlier sought the replacement of the Basilan police chief Salik Macapantar for his failure to secure the island from the Abu Sayyaf.

In October, gunmen also ambushed and wounded Claretian priest Felimon Libot in while on his way to say mass in Basilan's Sumisip town. (Mindanao Examiner)