Monday, September 19, 2016

Recovery of 16 remaining ASG hostages a priority task of AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 19): Recovery of 16 remaining ASG hostages a priority task of AFP

With the release of six Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) captives over the weekend, the military is now focusing on the safe and immediate recovery of 16 remaining hostages still in the clutches of the terrorists.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla on Monday said this can be broken down into 12 foreign hostages and four Filipinos currently being held by the ASG.

"As of the last validation and based on what we received from Western Mindanao Command this morning, lets go to the numbers first, there remains 12 foreign hostages in the hands of the ASG, the locals, there are four locals also in their hands. Based on our monitoring and our feedback from the field we believe that most of these hostages are still in good condition and that's what we are aiming to accomplish, to rescue them or recover them safely," he added.

Last Saturday, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad was released by the bandits in Sulu. This was followed by the freeing of three Indonesian fishermen Lorence Koten, Teo Doros Kofong and Emmanuel Arakian nighttime of Sept. 17 and of telecom workers Daniela Taruc and Levy Gonzales last Sept. 18. All hostages were released in the Sulu area.

Sekkingstand was freed in Sulu around 4 p.m. Saturday. The former was abducted together with John Ridsel, Robert Hall and Marites Flor on Sept. 21, 2015 at the Ocean View Resort in Samal Island.

Both Hall and Ridsell were beheaded by the bandits while Flor was freed by the ASG last June 22.

While the three Indonesian fishermen were abducted off Lahad Datu, Sabah last July 9 while telecom workers Taruc and Gonzales were kidnapped in Patikul, Sulu last Aug. 9.

Padilla said operations will continue until the ASG's capacity to launch lawless and terror activities are neutralized or totally eliminated.

"The mission is very specific, to degrade the capability of this group to launch or conduct any of the activities that they have been doing, so in order to accomplish that we must pursue this operation to its rightful end," he said.

"Our primordial concern right now are the safety of the hostages but then after that is the complete security of the island (Sulu) and its long term development as a potential investment site in the future," Padilla pointed out.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=924241

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