NICA calls for more coordinated efforts vs kidnapping in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 21): NICA calls for more coordinated efforts vs kidnapping in Mindanao

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) is calling for a more coordinated efforts between government agencies and the public to address the kidnapping menace, particularly in Mindanao region.

NICA Director General Ager Ontog said on Friday that the kidnapping situation in Mindanao is more complex than those in Luzon and the Visayas.

”In fact, there is now connection between terrorist groups and criminal groups that are responsible in kidnapping incidents,” said Ontog, a former police general.

The NICA chief was apparently referring to the prevailing modus operandi of kidnapping for ransom (KFR) gangs in Mindanao, turning over victims to the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group as previously reported.

”We need to have a wider perspective of the kidnapping situation,” said Ontog. ”We need to have a deeper dialogue among various agencies of government, including the intelligence community, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and the communities affected by kidnapping.”

Ontog said he already proposed, through the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), for government agencies to craft a strategy to finally end the kidnapping menace.

”The kidnapping situation in Mindanao is very complex. We need more coordinated efforts among all government agencies and other partners in the community,” he stressed.

Ontog cited the significance of the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the campaign against kidnapping in Mindanao.

”We can now launch law enforcement operations which we cannot do before,” he said.

Based on the data of the police PNP-AKG, under Senior Supt. Renato Gumban, there are at least 16 KFR groups operating in Mindanao.

Of the 16 KFR gangs, only the terrorist Abu Sayyaf group is considered as organized.

”The rest are just criminal gangs,” said Gumban.

Both Ontog and Gumban stressed that the government is working very hard to address the kidnapping menace.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=618735