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By Al Jacinto, Correspondent
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Terrorists holding a television
reporter and two others on the southern island of Sulu have extended
an ultimatum for negotiators to pay a P15-million ransom for the
safe release of their hostages.
Agence France-Presse, a French news agency,
reported on Tuesday that the kidnappers from the extremist group Abu
Sayyaf had threatened to behead ABS-CBN journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon,
46, and her companions at noon of Tuesday if the ransom was not
paid. Held with Drilon are her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and
university professor Octavio Dinampo.
The news agency added that a government
negotiator, whom it did not name, convinced the abductors to extend
the deadline, initially to 2 p.m. also of Tuesday.
The negotiators later said the kidnappers had
dropped the deadline.
“We are still talking with the kidnappers, and
there is no time frame [set for the payment of the ransom],” said
Sulu Mayor Isnaji Alvarez, who is negotiating with the kidnappers
from Jolo, the capital of Sulu province.
National police chief Avelino Razon said Drilon
and company may be released “within hours or within the day.”
But a government negotiator could not confirm this as of press time.
Father, son negotiating
His son, Haider “Jun” Alvarez, an emissary
for his father, said he had spoken by telephone with members of the
Abu Sayyaf.
“We agreed that they should not hurt the
hostages while the negotiations are going on,” he added. “They
have dropped the set deadline so we can reopen the negotiations.”
The Abu Sayyaf gunmen are believed to have
demanded a ransom thought to be about $1 million, or roughly P44
million from Drilon’s family.
According to Mayor Alvarez, Drilon had confirmed
that separate talks were going on between her family and the rebels.
“I told her that it was a big mistake. Why did
you let the kidnappers contact your family?” the mayor asked.
But he quoted Drilon as saying she had to agree,
because “they are pointing guns at me and whatever amount of money
they ask, I just say ‘yes.’”
Negotiators have offered the kidnappers
development projects in their communities, rather than the ransom,
which would be tough to deliver, Jun Alvarez said.
He added that he had spoken with Drilon earlier
Tuesday. She was doing “OK” and was asking people to pray for
her, he said.
The kidnappers originally set the deadline at
noon of Tuesday but extended this for another 24 hours, said Gafur
Kanain, an aide of Isnaji Alvarez, who had been selected by the Abu
Sayyaf to negotiate for the release of the three hostages.
“The kidnappers extended the ultimatum for
another day. We thanked them for that,” Kanain told The Manila
Times.
It was unclear what would happen after the new
deadline passes.
Military, police movements
President Gloria Arroyo has ordered police and
military forces to recover the hostages alive, as more government
reinforcements arrived in Sulu in the Mindanao region.
“We are concerned about the general condition
of the hostages. We are hopeful that they will be released
safely,” Malacañang said in a statement.
Razon, said the military and police had
contingency plans for the hostages, but they would let the
negotiators take the lead.
“Ground troops are in place, including air and
naval assets,” Razon added.
The military also on Tuesday assured that it is
capable of addressing the hostage crisis in Sulu. Its chief,
Alexander Yano, reiterated the government’s no-ransom policy. He
said he welcomes, though, the extension of the deadline for the
payment of ransom.
The hostages are believed being held in caves in
the jungle of Mount Tumatangis in Indanan town but intelligence
reports said the kidnappers have been constantly moving from one
hideout to another to avoid detection by the military.
ABS-CBN had said it will not pay ransom for
Drilon’s group, citing policy.
Extension not indefinite
Kanain denied reports that the ultimatum had
been extended indefinitely and insisted the Abu Sayyaf’s deadline
was extended only until today.
The kidnappers last week freed Drilon’s
cameraman, Angelo Valderama, after negotiators reportedly paid P5
million in ransom. Isnaji Alvarez said he only paid several hundreds
of thousands of pesos as Valderama’s “board and lodging” fee,
but he confirmed the Abu Sayyaf demand.
Local sources said unidentified negotiators from
Manila have made contacts with the Abu Sayyaf and were discussing
the payment of ransom. Once the ransom is paid, the kidnappers would
make it appear that they freed the hostages in exchange for
government livelihood projects.
Abu Sayyaf actions
Drilon’s group was seized on June 8 in the
town of Maimbung while on their way to meet with an Abu Sayyaf
leader, Radulan Sahiron, whose group is believed to be holding the
hostages. Besides Sahiron, military and police also tagged Albader
Parad, Gafur Jumdail and Umbra Jumdail as involved in the
kidnapping, along with two others, Walid alias Tuan Walis and
Sulayman Patta.
Mayor Alvarez said authorities reprimanded him
for making public the Abu Sayyaf ransom demand. “Authorities
phoned me and asked me why I made public the ransom demand of the
kidnappers. But the truth must come out so that our people will know
what’s going on,” he added.
Abu Sayyaf militants tied to the al-Qaeda terror
network threatened to harm the hostages if ransom is not paid,
according to Jun Alvarez.
The elder Alvarez earlier said the family of
Drilon was negotiating directly with the Abu Sayyaf and even
promised to pay ransom to the kidnappers. Drilon’s family denied
the allegation.
Military tanks and trucks transporting
government soldiers were seen on Monday in Jolo. It was unknown if
they were preparing to mount a rescue operation.
Troops on Sunday shelled the hinterlands of Sulu
near where the Abu Sayyaf was thought to be hiding. At least five
persons were wounded in the shelling and more than a thousand
villagers fled their homes in Indanan to avoid the crossfire.
Lucrative business
Philippine authorities link the Abu Sayyaf to
both the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah, blamed for a spate of
terrorism in southern Philippines. The demand for huge ransom has
already lured many militants to join the group holding the hostages.
There were no known instances in Sulu where the
Abu Sayyaf released its captives without paying ransom. In past
kidnappings, politicians or private and even government negotiators
themselves paid hefty ransoms to the Abu Sayyaf to secure the
hostages. Supposedly, some negotiators and their emissaries usually
make money by increasing or getting a cut on the ransoms.
Kidnapping-for-ransom has virtually become a
lucrative business for the Abu Sayyaf and a virtual livelihood for
the group most feared in Mindanao. It was linked to many kidnappings
of wealthy Filipino traders and foreigners there, with most of the
victims opting to pay ransom or risk getting killed in captivity.
The rebel extremists are known to rape their
female captives, whether they are young or old, and in some
instances behead their male hostages if their families refuse to pay
ransom.
The US State Department lists the Abu Sayyaf as
a foreign terrorist organization and has offered rewards of up to $5
million for the capture of its known leaders. US troops have been
deployed in Sulu since 2006 and are assisting Philippine forces
defeat the Abu Sayyaf.
-- With AFP, Jefferson Antiporda and Maricel C. Cruz
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