Humanitarian crisis looms in Basilan island

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 3, 2008) – A humanitarian crisis is looming in the southern Philippine island of Basilan, where security forces are battling Moro rebels and Abu Sayyaf militants.

Thousands of civilians had been affected by military operations and sporadic clashes between rebels and soldiers, according to Basilan deputy governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul, acting head of the provincial crisis management committee.

“We have so many people who are now affected by the hostilities in Basilan. We need food aid to feed the hungry, those displaced by the fighting,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said many of those affected by the skirmishes are from the towns of Maluso, Tipo-Tipo, Al-Barka and Ungkaya Pukan, although there were also reports of refugees in Tuburan town.

Basilan governor Jum Akbar could not be reached to comment about the worsening situation on the island, south of Zamboanga City. Local officials said Akbar was often out of Basilan and spends most of her time either in Zamboanga City or Manila.

Government troops launched operations last week to flush out Abu Sayyaf militants, blamed for the spate of kidnappings-for-ransom in Basilan.

Nine people had been kidnapped in Basilan since early this week by either the Abu Sayyaf or rebels from the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Gunmen are still holding two other hostages - Joed Pilangga, a nursing student kidnapped Oct. 17 in Zamboanga City, and Nicole Raveche, seized Nov. 26 in Lamitan City.

Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, headed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, have demanded P20 million ransoms from Pilangga’ family and P6 million for Raveche’s freedom.

Two government militias were also injured in MILF attack on a military post near Ungkaya Pukan town. And Sakalahul said rebels also seized at least five automatic weapons from another group of militias in a recent attack in Maluso town.

Marine Col. Rustico Guererro said MILF rebels were attacking soldiers pursuing the Abu Sayyaf, sparking sporadic clashes on the island. He accused the MILF of violating a fragile truce it signed with the military in 2001 after President Gloria Arroyo opened up peace talks with the rebels.

Guererro accused the MILF of sheltering Abu Sayyaf militants. “They have been coddling the Abu Sayyaf,” he said, an accusation the MILF strongly denied.

“They are just using the Abu Sayyaf as an escape goat to justify attacks on the MILF forces in Basilan,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader.

More than a dozen people had been kidnapped the past four months by Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan, including two Filipino aid workers, and most of them had been freed in exchange for huge ransoms. Locals blamed the police and military authorities in Basilan, one of six provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, for its failure to secure the safety of the civilians. (Mindanao Examiner)

Help us, kin of kidnapped victims appeal to President Gloria Arroyo

Families of kidnapped victims in the southern Philippines - couple Manuel and Edna Pilangga, and Ben Feliciano - show photographs of hostages at a news conference in Zamboanga City on Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. They appealed to President Gloria Arroyo to help secure the safe release of Filipino nurse Presciosa Feliciano and Joed Anthony Pilangga, a university student, who were both kidnapped in Zamboanga City this year; and aid worker Millet Mendoza, seized in Basilan island. Abu Sayyaf gunmen are believed holding all the victims in Basilan's hinterlands, and kidnappers demanded at least P32-million in exchange for their freedom. Another kidnapped aid worker Esperancita Hupida was freed last week in exchange for P2 million ransom. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2008) – Families of kidnapped victims on Friday appealed to President Gloria Arroyo to help secure the release of three hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf militants in the southern Filipino province of Basilan.

Militants have demanded at least P32 million ransoms for the safe release of Preciosa Feliciano, Millet Mendoza and Joed Anthony Pilangga. A fourth victim, Esperancita Hupida, was freed October 30 after private negotiators allegedly paid P2 million.

“We appeal to Your Excellency’s urgent intervention, not only for the immediate release of the remaining captives, but to direct and provide all forms necessary support and assistance to the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Local Government Units, and the legal system and members of the civil society involved in trying to come up with short and long-term solutions to this social menace,” the victims’ kin said in their November 4 letter addressed to President Arroyo.

They said government authorities cannot seem to offer enough protection to citizens from lawless groups. “There is a sense of helplessness. No organized group is doing anything to prevent and address the issue of kidnapping. The captors are not brought to justice, and they continue their kidnapping operations. This problem of course relates with the broader conflict in Mindanao,” the kin said in a statement read during an emotional press conference here.

Feliciano, a nurse, was kidnapped July 7 in Zamboanga City and brought to Basilan island, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen are holding Mendoza, an aid worker seized in Tipo-Tipo town on September 15 along with Hupida, program director of the Nagdilaab Foundation.

Pilanga, a university student, was snatched on October 17 outside their house in Zamboanga City. Kidnappers have demanded P20 million from Pilangga’s family; P7 million for Mendoza’s freedom and P5 million ransom from the family of Feliciano.

Feliciano’s family said they had already paid P1.8 million to the kidnappers after selling their properties in Zamboanga City. “We have paid them already, but still they are holding my sister,” Ben Feliciano said.

The families of Pilangga and Mendoza said they cannot afford to pay ransom and have appealed to the kidnappers to free the hostages.

“There is a growing frustration and disappointment of the relatives and friends of the victims over the way authorities are dealing with the cases. There’s no public attention given since these victims are not well-known people. There’s no local initiative of crisis management team that is pursuing their release. The resolution of their cases is nowhere near,” the statement said.

Edna Pilangga, mother of one of the hostage, said the kidnapping has affected the family and appealed to the captors to free her son and the other victims. “Have pity on my son, have pity on us, please free him and the other victims,” she said, sobbing between words, as she appealed also to President Arroyo to look into the plight of the hostages. “Please help us President Arroyo.”

Joy Mendoza, sister of Millet Mendoza, also called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is active in Basilan island, to help secure the freedom of the hostages.

“To the MILF, we are appealing to them to help us secure the safe release of the hostages. We know they can help us. We believe in your humanitarian side and goodwill. Development workers like Millet (Mendoza) look at you like brothers,” she said.

There was no immediate statement from Basilan Governor Jum Akbar, who has been spending much of her time in Manila.

The Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped nine people in recent months in Basilan and sent letters to Christians living on the island threatening them with harm if they do not embrace Islam. The letters were signed by Puruji Indama and Nur Hassan Jamiri, known leaders of the local Abu Sayyaf group on the island. (Mindanao Examiner)