Jolo is known as the kidnap capital of the Philippines, thanks to the presence of Abu Sayyaf rebels. Channel NewsAsia's Arglit Boonyai recalls how it feels to be in the rebel-dominated area.
Army rangers in Jolo, Philippines. (Photo Arglit Boonyai/CNA)
MINDANAO: What I have learnt over the course of filming the series is that there is nothing scarier than not knowing. Being unable to predict what will happen, and when and how a situation will end is terrifying. That is what makes kidnapping such a frightening ordeal.
When it comes to South East Asia, if you are going to be kidnapped, Jolo is the place it is most likely to happen. It is the kidnap capital of the Philippines. Although it does not have the reputation of somewhere like Colombia, that does not make it any less dangerous.
Before filming, I attended a security training course to better prepare myself for the dangers that I would face. There was a very intensive day spent on kidnapping that involved a mock kidnap scenario, which was exactly as scary as it sounds.
What I learnt from the course was that if a group like ISIS wants to kidnap you, then you had better fight to the death because things are not going to end nicely. However, in most other kidnap situations, you are supposed to let the kidnappers take you without a fight, as most deaths from kidnapping happen in the heat of the moment.
After that, there is very little to do but wait; and in Jolo - located in Mindanao’s Sulu archipelago - Abu Sayyaf will make you wait and wait and wait.
IT IS THE NOT KNOWING THAT KILLS
Jolo in southwest Mindanao, Philippines. (Photo: Andy Tan/CNA)
Abu Sayyaf is officially a separatist group, although critics say their main activity now is kidnapping. Foreigners are big business here, at least when it comes to ransom. So, the kidnappers do not want to damage their big payday.
At one point during my trip, some locals were shouting “Here comes the money” when the crew and I left the safety of our vehicles. Luckily we had a platoon of elite army rangers protecting us.
Locals with a bit of money, however, are not so lucky and can be kidnapped in an instant. Most of them will spend months or even years in captivity. Apparently they are not treated badly. It is the "not knowing" that kills them.
THE FIGHTERS OF JOLO
Army Rangers in Jolo, southwest Mindanao. (Photo: Arglit Boonyai/CNA)
This was also my first time living on an army barracks, and it is not anything like the movies. The Marines and Army Rangers that live at Camp Bud Datu do not get much funding, so life in the mountains of Jolo, surrounded by Abu Sayyaf, is very basic.
Still, you will hear no complaints from them. They spend weeks in the jungle, fighting in an area they are not familiar with, and most of them will not tell their loved ones where they are for fear of making them worried.
Arglit and elite Philippine Army Scout Ranger Jayson Pariñas near Jolo.
That is how dedicated they are to the job of eradicating Abu Sayyaf. Yes, that’s right, eradicating. The man in charge, tough-as-nails Colonel Alan Arrojado, assured me that the goal is not to reach a peace agreement with Abu Sayyaf. Critics also say the rebels do not want to negotiate.
Colonel Arrojado's job is to make sure that Jolo can be safe for everyone, and for that he needs a plan. His plan is to take out the group’s head - the one-armed Radullan Sahiron - and watch the ‘body’ crumble. That is his plan, and he is sticking to it, because for the colonel, not knowing is not an option.
[Arglit Boonyai is a foreign correspondent and the host of Danger Zone. Watch his journey to the Philippines on Channel NewsAsia, Apr 14, at 8pm SG/HK.]
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/when-kidnapped-by-abu/1775772.html
When it comes to South East Asia, if you are going to be kidnapped, Jolo is the place it is most likely to happen. It is the kidnap capital of the Philippines. Although it does not have the reputation of somewhere like Colombia, that does not make it any less dangerous.
Before filming, I attended a security training course to better prepare myself for the dangers that I would face. There was a very intensive day spent on kidnapping that involved a mock kidnap scenario, which was exactly as scary as it sounds.
What I learnt from the course was that if a group like ISIS wants to kidnap you, then you had better fight to the death because things are not going to end nicely. However, in most other kidnap situations, you are supposed to let the kidnappers take you without a fight, as most deaths from kidnapping happen in the heat of the moment.
After that, there is very little to do but wait; and in Jolo - located in Mindanao’s Sulu archipelago - Abu Sayyaf will make you wait and wait and wait.
IT IS THE NOT KNOWING THAT KILLS
Jolo in southwest Mindanao, Philippines. (Photo: Andy Tan/CNA)
Abu Sayyaf is officially a separatist group, although critics say their main activity now is kidnapping. Foreigners are big business here, at least when it comes to ransom. So, the kidnappers do not want to damage their big payday.
At one point during my trip, some locals were shouting “Here comes the money” when the crew and I left the safety of our vehicles. Luckily we had a platoon of elite army rangers protecting us.
Locals with a bit of money, however, are not so lucky and can be kidnapped in an instant. Most of them will spend months or even years in captivity. Apparently they are not treated badly. It is the "not knowing" that kills them.
THE FIGHTERS OF JOLO
Army Rangers in Jolo, southwest Mindanao. (Photo: Arglit Boonyai/CNA)
This was also my first time living on an army barracks, and it is not anything like the movies. The Marines and Army Rangers that live at Camp Bud Datu do not get much funding, so life in the mountains of Jolo, surrounded by Abu Sayyaf, is very basic.
Still, you will hear no complaints from them. They spend weeks in the jungle, fighting in an area they are not familiar with, and most of them will not tell their loved ones where they are for fear of making them worried.
Arglit and elite Philippine Army Scout Ranger Jayson Pariñas near Jolo.
That is how dedicated they are to the job of eradicating Abu Sayyaf. Yes, that’s right, eradicating. The man in charge, tough-as-nails Colonel Alan Arrojado, assured me that the goal is not to reach a peace agreement with Abu Sayyaf. Critics also say the rebels do not want to negotiate.
Colonel Arrojado's job is to make sure that Jolo can be safe for everyone, and for that he needs a plan. His plan is to take out the group’s head - the one-armed Radullan Sahiron - and watch the ‘body’ crumble. That is his plan, and he is sticking to it, because for the colonel, not knowing is not an option.
[Arglit Boonyai is a foreign correspondent and the host of Danger Zone. Watch his journey to the Philippines on Channel NewsAsia, Apr 14, at 8pm SG/HK.]
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/when-kidnapped-by-abu/1775772.html
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