MNLF won’t coddle Samal abductors

From the Daily Tribune (Sep 30): MNLF won’t coddle Samal abductors

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) group of chairman Nur Misuari yesterday vowed it will not coddle the kidnap group holding three foreigners and a Filipina, who were abducted from Samal Island, as it expressed readiness to assist government authorities in addressing the kidnapping issue.

Rev. Absalom Cerveza, spokesman of the MNLF-Misuari group, vowed they will never condone bandits.

“As a gesture of goodwill, we are prepared to extend our assistance in addressing the matter, if we are requested to do so,” Cerveza told The Tribune.

“We want to emphasize that we will neither condone these criminal acts nor the bandits responsible for the kidnapping,” he added.

Cerveza said that the MNLF will not allow the kidnap group into their camps.
“We assure that no MNLF camps will take these bandits,” Cerveza said.

The Palace welcomed the MNLF initiative to provide aid to the government in rescuing four tourists abducted in Samal Island.

“The government accepts the help of organizations or individuals to solve a crime,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said. “It’s better that we find where the perpetrators are.”

There were reports stating that Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and Filipina Maritess Flor have been sighted in Sulu, a known stronghold of the MNLF-Misuari group.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earlier had said that the victims were taken to Sulu via Glan, Sarangani.

Cerveza admitted there were information saying that the victims were brought in Sulu by their captors by such information remains unverified.

“We have received information to that effect but they are not validated,” Cerveza said.

Col. Alan Arrojado, commander of the military’s Joint Task Group-Sulu, said that there is no confirmation that the victims are now in Sulu.

“There are a lot of reports coming in but there is no photo evidence,” Arrojado said.

“No lull time. We have been operating for eight days now in Patikul and Talipao areas. Sorry but there is no confirmation through photo or video evidence…all reports are still for validation,” said Arrojado.

The three victims were abducted by gunmen from the posh Ocean View resort on Samal Island in Daval del Norte last Sept. 21.

 

There were reports tagging the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group as behind the daring kidnapping, staged barely two months before the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Manila in November.

Unconfirmed reports tagged the group of Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf leader Muammar Askali as behind the abduction.

Police and military authorities, however, maintained there are still no validated reports that Abu Sayyaf Group is now holding the four hostages.

Authorities are also mum as to where the ongoing search and pursuit operations are being conducted.

Cerveza branded the law enforcement operation as good indicator on the location of the victims.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/mnlf-won-t-coddle-samal-abductors