Talks with Abu Sayyaf limited to hostages: Dureza

From Malaya Business Insight (Jun 28): Talks with Abu Sayyaf limited to hostages: Dureza

THE incoming government of Rodrigo Duterte will have to continue negotiating with the Abu Sayyaf group to facilitate the release of its remaining hostages, including a Norwegian and several Indonesians, incoming peace adviser Jesus Dureza said yesterday.

“We have to talk to them (Abu Sayyaf) if we want to save lives. But it’s not in the context of negotiating for peace like what we are doing with the other groups,” he said in an interview in the TV program “Unang Hirit.”

“There can be no amnesty, the full force of the law will have to be applied there,” he also said adding the negotiations are limited to the release of the hostages, with no strings attached.

Duterte on Saturday night told the Abu Sayyaf to say whether it wants to talk with government or be considered an “enemy” of the state. He has repeatedly asked the bandit group to surrender and release its remaining hostages, and said there would be a day of reckoning.

Dureza said government forces have to calibrate their actions to ensure the safe release of the hostages and to spare communities from the conflict.

Dureza also said he has long been helping in negotiations for the release of four hostages taken by the Abu Sayyaf from Samal Island in Davao del Norte in September last year.

He said he knew one of them personally, Canadian John Ridsdel who was beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf in April after the family failed to raise the P300-million ransom demanded by the criminal group.

He said he abided by the government’s no-ransom policy but he could not stop the victims’ families from trying to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf. Ridsdel’s fellow Canadian, Robert Hall was also beheaded on June 13 also for failure to pay ransom. Their companion, Norwegian Kijartan Sekkingstad, is still with the Abu Sayyaf.

Hall’s Filipino girlfriend, Marites Flor, was released by the Abu Sayyaf last Friday following negotiations conducted by Dureza and Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan. Dureza said no ransom was paid.

Dureza said negotiations for the release of Sekkingstad are ongoing.

He said there is also a separate effort to secure the release of the seven Indonesian sailors who were seized by the Abu Sayyaf on Wednesday last week in   the Sulu Sea.

Dureza also said the economic team of the Duterte government is talking with Indonesia after it ordered all Indonesian flag vessels not to sail to any Philippine port at the moment.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., quoting Foreign Affairs Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, said the Philippines is working with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments for a “tripartite Navy operational coordination” initiative to ensure the safety and security of vessels sailing near the maritime borders of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/talks-abu-sayyaf-limited-hostages-dureza