Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan on Thursday demanded an apology from ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network for allegedly besmirching the image of his province with the kidnapping incident involving veteran journalist Ces Drilon and her crew.
Tan said Drilon did not coordinate with them when she went to Sulu shortly before she was abducted by members of the Abu Sayyaf.
"Even prior to the coming or when Ces arrived in Sulu, I immediately asked the executive director of the Area Coordinating Center about her. We have such thing as Area Coordinating Center in Sulu where all visitors especially people from the media should coordinate with. They told us that Ces had her own contacts and did not coordinate with us," Tan said in Filipino.
‘Why talk with criminals?’
He also said he was irked with Drilon’s plan to report the continued existence of the Abu Sayyaf in his province.
"The media always talk to criminals, which is not right since you embolden them. There are so many people that you could talk to, why talk with criminals? You’re destroying our image," said Tan.
He also took swipe at the media for allegedly highlighting the conflict inflicted by the bandit group. The Sulu governor said that this has crushed his efforts to lure investors to his province.
"Those who don’t help us even create more problems. We’ve been exerting efforts, ship fruits, have our teachers undergo reviews, talk to GSIS, suddenly we would be hit by this setback. So I would think our people, they owe our people an apology, from ABS-CBN and the people concerned," Tan said.
Warned ABS-CBN execs
Tan also said that he earlier warned ABS-CBN head of News and Current Affairs Maria Ressa and head of News gathering Charie Villa from meddling with the negotiation process.
He said that doing so only muddled the negotiations.
"I would not have allowed everybody anybody to come in. But the thing there I talked to people from ABS-CBN. I told them not to poke their fingers into the activity. But apparently they are so stubborn that they did not heed my call," said Tan.
When asked if there was ransom given in exchange for the captives’ freedom, he said in Filipino: "What do you think?"
"I was not supporting [Indanan] Mayor Alvarez Isnaji in terms of talking about the ransom money with the kidnappers because we should follow the no-ransom policy," he said.
Tan said he urged Isnaji prior to the Tuesday deadline imposed by the abductors to back out of the negotiations. However, the Indanan mayor refused to withdraw from the talks for unknown reasons.
"It should not be the kidnappers setting deadline. We should set the terms not they. Even before the deadline, ‘I want you (Isnaji) to back out I knew that everybody was poking their fingers into that activity.’ That’s what I told him, but he did not listen. I think this is the reason why he is being investigated," said Tan.
Bypassed
For her part, Sulu Vice-Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla revealed that she backed out of the negotiation process after the abductors released assistant cameraman Angelo Valderama.
Sahidula said she found out that she was bypassed in the negotiations after learning that Drilon’s family was directly negotiating with the abductors.
"I took my hands off from the negotiation. Because I came to know Mayor Alvarez called directly to the parents of Ces Drilon," said Sahidula.
She said she was puzzled why Isnaji talked directly to Drilon’s family.
"I wonder why he talked directly to the parents of Ces Drilon. Maybe that’s his way to immediately release Ces. That’s why I took my hands off from the negotiation so there will be no conflict," said Sahidula.
She added that she is prepared to undergo investigations if needed.
ABS-CBN: Journalists’ duty
ABS-CBN, meanwhile, defended its decision to field Drilon to Sulu.
"Hindi dapat sisihin ang mga reporter dahil ginagawa lamang nila ang kanilang tungkulin na maghatid balita sa mamamayan. Para rin naman sa mga taga-Sulu at Mindanao na inaalam ng mga reporters ang lagay ng buhay at seguridad doon," the broadcasting network said in a statement.
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