Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo shows photographs of two Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, brothers Anni and Iting Sailani. And the freed hostages, from top, Romeo Rivera, Isidro Amoramo, Larry Bautista and Reynaldo Rubio. (Mindanao Examiner/Uly Israel)ZAMBOANGA CITY (Uly Israel / 21 Oct) – The Philippine military on Saturday tagged the Abu Sayyaf group as behind the kidnapping of a US aid worker and three other Filipinos in the troubled island of Jolo.
The four hostages were recovered by troops on a village in Parang town on Friday and were brought to Zamboanga City where military doctors examined them.
The victims, engineers Romeo Rivera, a program manager working for the United States Agency for International Development-Growth with Equity in Mindanao (USAID-GEM); and Reynaldo Rubio and Larry Bautista, of the Manila-based Terra Zyme Chemicals; and their driver, Isidro Amaramo were kidnapped Tuesday while inspecting a Washington-funded road project in the town.
Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo identified three kidnappers as brothers Anni and Iting Sailani and Bong Iskandal.
“Three of their captors were positively identified as members of the Abu Sayyaf Group’s Urban Terror Group based from the pictures presented to the victims as: Bong Iskandal, Anni Sailani and Iting Sailani,” Cedo said at a news conference where the four freed hostages told their ordeals.
Colonel Reynaldo Sealana, commander of an army brigade on Jolo island, said the four had been freed without ransom. “The kidnappers freed the hostages without ransom because of mounting military pressure,” Sealana said.
He said the kidnappers freed the hostages before a 24-hour military ultimatum for their release was to end on Friday. He said villagers angered by the incident also threatened to seize the families and relatives of the kidnappers if they don’t free the four men.
But the regional police chief Joel Goltiao told reporters that the four had escaped from their captors late Wednesday. “They were able to escape from their captor; that is what they told the police,” Goltiao said.
One of the freed victim said the kidnappers demanded at least P30 million ransoms in exchange for their freedom.
“The kidnappers asked P20 million from me and my companion and another P10 million from Rivera,” Rubio said.
He said the kidnappers did not harm them and said they only wanted money. “We were not harmed,” he said. “I knew the risk when we went to Jolo and I also know that there are more good people on the island. I still have trust on them,” he said.
Rubio said his captors took his ATM (automated teller machine) card and was able to withdraw about P60,000 from a bank in Jolo island. “I was told about it by the bank,” he said.
Despite the kidnapping, Rivera said he will return to Jolo island to finish the stalled road project.
“I will return to Jolo despite what had happened. I will return to continue the work that will benefit a lot of Muslims,” said Rivera, who nearly broke into tears while telling their ordeal in the hands of their captors.
His companion, Bautista, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said his ordeal has made him closer to God.
“The experience made me closer to God. My ordeal has made my faith in God stronger,” he said.
The military said troops were pursuing the kidnappers, who had been implicated in the spate of killings of soldiers and civilians, including Filipino news photographer Gene Boyd Lumawag two years ago, on Jolo island, about 950 km south of Manila. (Mindanao Examiner)
The four hostages were recovered by troops on a village in Parang town on Friday and were brought to Zamboanga City where military doctors examined them.
The victims, engineers Romeo Rivera, a program manager working for the United States Agency for International Development-Growth with Equity in Mindanao (USAID-GEM); and Reynaldo Rubio and Larry Bautista, of the Manila-based Terra Zyme Chemicals; and their driver, Isidro Amaramo were kidnapped Tuesday while inspecting a Washington-funded road project in the town.
Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo identified three kidnappers as brothers Anni and Iting Sailani and Bong Iskandal.
“Three of their captors were positively identified as members of the Abu Sayyaf Group’s Urban Terror Group based from the pictures presented to the victims as: Bong Iskandal, Anni Sailani and Iting Sailani,” Cedo said at a news conference where the four freed hostages told their ordeals.
Colonel Reynaldo Sealana, commander of an army brigade on Jolo island, said the four had been freed without ransom. “The kidnappers freed the hostages without ransom because of mounting military pressure,” Sealana said.
He said the kidnappers freed the hostages before a 24-hour military ultimatum for their release was to end on Friday. He said villagers angered by the incident also threatened to seize the families and relatives of the kidnappers if they don’t free the four men.
But the regional police chief Joel Goltiao told reporters that the four had escaped from their captors late Wednesday. “They were able to escape from their captor; that is what they told the police,” Goltiao said.
One of the freed victim said the kidnappers demanded at least P30 million ransoms in exchange for their freedom.
“The kidnappers asked P20 million from me and my companion and another P10 million from Rivera,” Rubio said.
He said the kidnappers did not harm them and said they only wanted money. “We were not harmed,” he said. “I knew the risk when we went to Jolo and I also know that there are more good people on the island. I still have trust on them,” he said.
Rubio said his captors took his ATM (automated teller machine) card and was able to withdraw about P60,000 from a bank in Jolo island. “I was told about it by the bank,” he said.
Despite the kidnapping, Rivera said he will return to Jolo island to finish the stalled road project.
“I will return to Jolo despite what had happened. I will return to continue the work that will benefit a lot of Muslims,” said Rivera, who nearly broke into tears while telling their ordeal in the hands of their captors.
His companion, Bautista, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said his ordeal has made him closer to God.
“The experience made me closer to God. My ordeal has made my faith in God stronger,” he said.
The military said troops were pursuing the kidnappers, who had been implicated in the spate of killings of soldiers and civilians, including Filipino news photographer Gene Boyd Lumawag two years ago, on Jolo island, about 950 km south of Manila. (Mindanao Examiner)
1 comment:
I'm just thankful the victims safely escapes. ASG brings shame to the Muslim communities.
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