Sulu town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and son Haider Isnaji. Both have been detained and charged in court by the Philippine police in connection with the June 8, 2008 kidnappings of ABS-CBN television presenter Ces Drilon and her two cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including a university professor Octavio Dinampo. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)Download MP3
Aid workers on Friday said they expect an exodus of civilians from different villages in Sulu after security forces unleashed a barrage of cannon fires on Abu Sayyaf targets late Thursday.
Philippine authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the June 8 kidnapping of an ABS-CBN television reporter Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including their guide, university professor Octavio Dinampo.
The four were freed separately a week later allegedly in exchange for some P20 million. Negotiators led by Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji insisted no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
Isnaji and his son Haider, who helped in the negotiation, were subsequently arrested after the release of the hostages on suspicion they were involved in the kidnapping.
President Gloria Arroyo on Wednesday ordered an all-out offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. At least three thousand Filipino troops, backed by US military intelligence, are pursuing about three dozen militants involved in the kidnapping.
Provincial authorities have blamed Drilon’s group for ignoring warnings not to go to areas where the Abu Sayyaf is actively operating. Drilon also rejected security escorts and relied on her own guide.
Drilon and her group were detained by followers of a senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, whom they wanted to interview after he allegedly sent surrender feelers to the government.
Police implicated Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad, Gafur Jumdail, Umbra Jumdail, Tuan Walis and Sulayman Patta as among about 30 gunmen who held Drilon’s group.
But Avelino Razon, the chief of the national police, tagged Isnaji as one of the alleged mastermind of the gang that held Drilon’s group. Razon said Isnaji allegedly took P3 million from the P5 million ransom paid for the release of one kidnapped cameraman.
Sahiron, a notorious terror man, is included on the most wanted lists both of the Philippines and the United States because of killings and kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said the kidnapping crisis severely affected the province and demanded that ABS-CBN publicly apologize to the people for allegedly besmirching Sulu’s image because of the incident.
He said journalists traveling or covering Sulu should coordinate with the local authorities for their own safety.
“We are not curtailing the freedom of the press, but why interview terrorists? We want journalists to come and visit Sulu and see our beautiful province and write or report about our heritage and culture or about our pristine beaches and clear blue sea and our efforts in promoting Sulu to attract trade and investments,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner.
Tan also said he was irked with Drilon’s plan to report the continued existence of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
”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,” he also said in a separate television interview.
”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 added.
Sulu Provincial Board Member Hector Buclao said he would file a resolution on Tuesday to demand an apology from ABS-CBN for the negative effect to the province brought about by the kidnapping incident. “We don’t want journalists to go to Sulu only to secretly interview terrorists and this is what happened here,” he said.
Buclao said he would also ask journalists covering Sulu to register and coordinate their movements to local authorities for their security or sign a waiver if they insist on traveling to dangerous areas in the province.
The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf group 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 the Philippine military defeats the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)
SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 20, 2008) – Philippine troops shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf lairs in the southern island of Sulu, where security forces, backed by US military intelligence, are hunting down militants tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya terror groups.
Aid workers on Friday said they expect an exodus of civilians from different villages in Sulu after security forces unleashed a barrage of cannon fires on Abu Sayyaf targets late Thursday.
Philippine authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the June 8 kidnapping of an ABS-CBN television reporter Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, including their guide, university professor Octavio Dinampo.
The four were freed separately a week later allegedly in exchange for some P20 million. Negotiators led by Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji insisted no ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
Isnaji and his son Haider, who helped in the negotiation, were subsequently arrested after the release of the hostages on suspicion they were involved in the kidnapping.
President Gloria Arroyo on Wednesday ordered an all-out offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. At least three thousand Filipino troops, backed by US military intelligence, are pursuing about three dozen militants involved in the kidnapping.
Troops also shelled suspected Abu Sayyaf strongholds in Indanan town at dawn on June 15, but five civilians were wounded in the cannon fire and more than 200 families fled their homes, police said.
Provincial authorities have blamed Drilon’s group for ignoring warnings not to go to areas where the Abu Sayyaf is actively operating. Drilon also rejected security escorts and relied on her own guide.
Drilon and her group were detained by followers of a senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, whom they wanted to interview after he allegedly sent surrender feelers to the government.
Police implicated Abu Sayyaf leaders Albader Parad, Gafur Jumdail, Umbra Jumdail, Tuan Walis and Sulayman Patta as among about 30 gunmen who held Drilon’s group.
But Avelino Razon, the chief of the national police, tagged Isnaji as one of the alleged mastermind of the gang that held Drilon’s group. Razon said Isnaji allegedly took P3 million from the P5 million ransom paid for the release of one kidnapped cameraman.
Sahiron, a notorious terror man, is included on the most wanted lists both of the Philippines and the United States because of killings and kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said the kidnapping crisis severely affected the province and demanded that ABS-CBN publicly apologize to the people for allegedly besmirching Sulu’s image because of the incident.
He said journalists traveling or covering Sulu should coordinate with the local authorities for their own safety.
“We are not curtailing the freedom of the press, but why interview terrorists? We want journalists to come and visit Sulu and see our beautiful province and write or report about our heritage and culture or about our pristine beaches and clear blue sea and our efforts in promoting Sulu to attract trade and investments,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner.
Tan also said he was irked with Drilon’s plan to report the continued existence of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
”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,” he also said in a separate television interview.
”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 added.
Sulu Provincial Board Member Hector Buclao said he would file a resolution on Tuesday to demand an apology from ABS-CBN for the negative effect to the province brought about by the kidnapping incident. “We don’t want journalists to go to Sulu only to secretly interview terrorists and this is what happened here,” he said.
Buclao said he would also ask journalists covering Sulu to register and coordinate their movements to local authorities for their security or sign a waiver if they insist on traveling to dangerous areas in the province.
The United States listed the Abu Sayyaf group 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 the Philippine military defeats the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)
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