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By Angelo S. Samonte Reporter
President Gloria Arroyo on
Tuesday ordered the military and national police to exhaust all
means to locate and secure the “missing” group of broadcaster
Ces Oreña-Drilon in Sulu.
Palace Deputy Spokesman Lorelei
Fajardo said, “This [the incident] can give a bad signal because
Ms. Drilon is a very popular figure in the country. So we will not
let our officials go easy on this case.”
Police and military were scouring
the southern island of Jolo Tuesday for Drilon and her companions,
according to an Agence France-Presse report.
Authorities are not yet
considering the incident as a kidnapping case, Fajardo said. “The
initial report is that she is still missing. But of course, we
cannot rule out the possibility that they were kidnapped.”
The Palace also appealed to the
media for “caution and restraint” in reporting the kidnapping of
Drilon and her crew to ensure their safety while rescue efforts are
ongoing.
In a separate statement, Deputy
Palace Spokesman Anthony Golez said Malacañang condemns the
kidnapping and assured the public that the police are doing all they
can to run after the perpetrators and “bring the victims home
alive and well.”
The Armed Forces of the
Philippines has been directed to share intelligence information with
the police, which would lead to the capture of the group that seized
Drilon and her team.
Early Tuesday, ABS-CBN
Broadcasting Corp. would only confirm that Drilon and her two
cameramen, Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, are “missing”
in Sulu.
“All efforts are under way to
find them and bring them home. Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN
News requests other media to report on this matter with utmost
consideration for the safety of our news team,” the ABS-CBN
statement added.
A political science professor
from Mindanao State University, Octavio Dinampo, was also with the
journalists.
No ransom demand has been made
public, but unconfirmed reports say the kidnappers are asking for
between P10 million and P20 million for the safe release of
Drilon’s group.
MILF offers help
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) said it is ready to help authorities in monitoring the
whereabouts of Drilon’s group and will work for their immediate
release.
The separatist group said it has
formed a special team, headed by a political officer, to monitor the
developments in Sulu.
Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF
peace panel secretariat, said the group has learned that Drilon’s
group was kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Gafur Gumbahali in
Kulasi village in Maimbung town Sunday morning.
Gafur is the brother of Abu
Sayyaf leader Dr. Abu Jumdail Gumbahali, according to a report.
Drilon is the third local
journalist to be kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf since 2000.
Although numbering just a few
hundreds, the group has been responsible for some of the country’s
worst terrorist attacks.
Over the past 18 months, its
leadership has been weakened by a massive offensive by the
Philippine military aided by US Special Forces advisers.
Most of the group’s leaders
have either been killed or captured.
Letter to DOJ
The leader of the al-Qaeda-linked
Abu Sayyaf, Commander Radullon Sahiron, has expressed his
interest to surrender, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said also on
Tuesday.
He said he has received a
“negotiation letter” from Sahiron about three weeks ago, which
was followed up days later by an “unnamed emissary.” Gonzalez
added that he had the letter “authenticated” to determine if it
really came from Sahiron.
The Justice chief said Sahiron
was asking for “cash payment for their firearms, some form of
amnesty, livelihood assistance and immunity,” among others in
exchange for his and his followers’ surrender.
“[But] it’s the government
who will set up conditions, if there are any,” he said, adding
that Sulu Rep. Yusuf Yakiri is assisting in the negotiation process.
Gonzalez said he has informed the
President about Sahiron’s letter and was advised to exercise
caution in dealing with a terrorist group. He added that he is
willing to give the Abu Sayyaf leader a safe conduct pass if he is
willing to have a face-to-face meeting with him.
Sahiron took command of the Abu
Sayyaf following the death of Khadaffy Janjalani in September 2006.
The US government has placed a $5-million bounty for Sahiron’s
arrest—dead or alive.
Sahiron, 70, is widely respected
among terrorists worldwide. But because of his failing health,
analysts doubt his ability to lead the group of bandits.
Sahiron is one of the most-wanted
men in the Philippines. He lost his right hand fighting security
forces in the 1970s.
Gonzalez said, though, his
disclosure of Sahiron’s intent to surrender has nothing to do with
the kidnapping of Ces Drilon and her companions.
--with AFP and
William B. Depasupil
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