Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, who is negotiating for the safe release of a Philippine television presenter Ces Drilon and her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and university professor Octavio Dinampo, speaks on his phone at the Provincial Capitol in Patikul town. Isnaji told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner that the trio would be freed on June 17 or early next day by their Abu Sayyaf captors. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 17, 2008) – Abu Sayyaf militants whose group is tied to al-Qaeda terror network may free a kidnapped Philippine television reporter and two others in the southern island of Jolo, a government negotiator said Tuesday.
The Abu Sayyaf kidnapped Ces Drilon and her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., including a university professor Octavio Dinampo and demanded P15 million ransoms. The kidnappers originally set the ransom deadline at noon Tuesday, but extended this for another 24 hours, said Gafur Kanain, an aide of Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, who was selected by the Abu Sayyaf to negotiate for the release of the hostages.
The gang last week freed Drilon's cameraman Angelo Valderama after negotiators reportedly paid P5 million. Isnaji said he only paid several hundreds of thousands of pesos as Valderama's "board and lodging" fee, but he confirmed the Abu Sayyaf demand.
Isnaji the family of Drilon is negotiating directly with the Abu Sayyaf and even promised to pay ransom to the kidnappers. Drilon's family denied the accusations. Isnaji threatened to resign as negotiator if the victims' families continue to talk directly with the Abu Sayyaf for the safe release of the hostages.
Isnaji said he spoke with Drilon on the phone and appealed to him not to abandon the negotiation for their freedom. He said Drilon, who was crying and worried over their fate in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.
Isnaji said he expected the trio’s release late Tuesday or on Wednesday. He did not give details or what was agreed between his group and the Abu Sayyaf.
The hostages are believed being held in caves in the jungle of Mount Tumatangis in Indanan town, but other intelligence reports said the kidnappers have been constantly moving from one hideout to another in nearby towns of Talipao and Maimbung to avoid detection by the military.
The ABS-CBN repeatedly said that it will not pay ransom to the Abu Sayyaf for the release of Drilon's group. "We are saddened and troubled by accusations that ABS-CBN has abandoned Ces and Jimmy," the television network said in a statement.
"ABS-CBN is doing everything it can to help them and their families through this harrowing ordeal," it said.
Local sources said unidentified negotiators from Manila have made contacts with the Abu Sayyaf and were discussing the payment of ransom. Once the ransom is paid, the kidnappers would make it appear that they freed the hostages in exchange for government livelihood projects.
Drilon's group was seized June 8 in the town of Maimbung while on their way to meet with an Abu Sayyaf terror leader Radulan Sahiron, whose group is believed to be holding the hostages.
Aside from Sahiron, military and police also tagged Albader Parad, Gafur Jumdail and Umbra Jumdail as involved in the kidnappings along with two others Walid alias Tuan Walis and Sulayman Patta.
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, the head of the local crisis management committee, appealed to negotiators not to pay ransom to the Abu Sayyaf because the money is likely to be used to buy weapons and finance terrorism and more kidnappings.
Military tanks and trucks transporting government soldiers were seen Monday in Jolo town. It was unknown if they were preparing to mount a rescue operation.
Troops on Sunday fired about a dozen rounds of cannons toward the hinterlands of Sulu near where the Abu Sayyaf is hiding. But at least 5 people were wounded in the shelling and more than a thousand villagers fled their homes in Indanan town for fear they would be hit by indiscriminate attacks on the Abu Sayyaf.
Philippine authorities linked the Abu Sayyaf to both the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, blamed for the spate of terrorism in the southern Philippines. The demand for huge ransom has already lured many militants to join the group holding the hostages.
There were no known instances in Sulu that the Abu Sayyaf released their captives without paying ransom. In the past kidnappings, politicians or private and even government negotiators themselves paid hefty ransom to the Abu Sayyaf to secure the hostages. And worse, some negotiators and their emissaries usually make money by increasing or getting a cut on the ransom.
Kidnappings-for-ransom has virtually become a lucrative business for the Abu Sayyaf and a virtual livelihood for the group most feared in the southern Philippines. It was linked to many kidnappings of wealthy Filipino traders and foreigners in the southern Philippines with most of the victims opted to paying ransom or risk getting killed in captivity.
And Abu Sayyaf militants are known to rape their female captives, whether they are young or old, and in many instances beheaded their male hostages if their families refused to pay ransom.
Washington listed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign terrorist organization and has offered rewards of up to $5 million for the capture of its known leaders. US troops are deployed in Sulu province since 2006 and assisting Philippine forces defeat the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)
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