Peace Coaliation Airs Concern Over Kidnap Crisis

The Citizens' Peace Watch, a broad multi-sectoral coalition of NGOs, networks, social movements, and individuals working for peace in the country, expresses its concern for Professor Octavio Dinampo and ABS-CBN journalists Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, and Angelo Valderama who have gone missing in Sulu.

Very little is still known about what has happened. And yet, even as the lives of Professor Dinampo and the others are on the line, insinuations about Professor Dinampo's role in this incident has reached our attention. Some security officials seem to be more concerned about blaming rather than saving the victims. At this time when so little is known and yet the danger so clear, these insinuations are malicious, irresponsible, and unfounded.

We have known Professor Dinampo through the years as a respected academic and concerned citizen who has been tirelessly campaigning for peace in Mindanao and in the country. We have heard him speak in educational forums in universities as well as in conferences. We have worked with him in collective campaigns for peace and justice. Just in February this year, Professor Dinampo hosted us, organizations from around the country, in a fact-finding mission to look into the escalation of violence in Sulu. Nothing from our experience leads us to doubt Professor Dinampo's character and integrity.

Though we are not aware of the particular circumstances that led to the current incident, we have reason to believe that Professor Dinampo's alleged role in helping link up the media with alleged Abu Sayyaf leaders could only have been motivated by his desire for truth and dialogue and his conviction that the public -- through the media – deserves to know the entire truth about the situation in his violence-wracked region. So much disinformation surrounds the war in Mindanao and Professor Dinampo – an academic who is very knowledgeable with the local dynamics and personalities in his war-torn land – has persevered to change that.

Knowing this, we strongly doubt whether Professor Dinampo would do anything that would compromise anyone's safety or be involved in any action that would undermine our shared vision of peace.

As an advocate of peace, Professor Dinampo has spoken against human rights violations and injustices committed in the war. We are afraid that it is for his critical stance that Professor Dinampo is being treated by some in authority as the subject of a dangerous smear campaign rather than as someone who needs help. In this "war on terror" which Professor Dinampo has opposed and of which he has become a casualty, in the climate of impunity that pervades over Sulu, anybody who questions authority is automatically targeted as a "terrorist."

We demand that authorities desist from issuing any unfounded allegations pending a fair and thorough investigation.

We demand that instead of casting unwarranted aspersions on people in danger, authorities should instead focus on finding and saving Professor Dinampo and the ABS-CBN journalists. (Herbert Docena)