Saturday, November 21, 2015

Ransom for Sulu hostages lowered – MNLF source

From the Manila Bulletin (Nov 22): Ransom for Sulu hostages lowered – MNLF source

FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2015 file photo, Col. Restituto Padilla, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, watches a video purportedly showing for the first time two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipino woman who were abducted last month from a southern Philippines resort, following a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo at suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines. Militants from at least four small but violent Muslim insurgent groups in the Philippines pledged support last year to the Islamic State group and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, mostly in videotaped messages posted on the Internet. Philippine security officials say they have found no clear evidence so far of a direct link and active collaboration between Islamic State extremists and any of the groups: Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement, Rajah Solaiman Movement and the Ansar Khalifa. Islamic State-inspired black flags, however, are visible in a video released this week, purportedly by Abu Sayyaf, of four Western and Filipino hostages kidnapped last month in the southern Philippines. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

FILE – In this Oct. 14, 2015 file photo, Col. Restituto Padilla, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, watches a video purportedly showing for the first time two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipino woman who were abducted last month from a southern Philippines resort, following a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo at suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines.  (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

The bandit Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has lowered their ransom demands to P900 million from P1 billion in exchange for the freedom of their three foreign hostages on Sulu Island, according to a senior Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader .

“My sources from the MNLF in Sulu and the military in Zamboanga City told me on Saturday about the reduced ransom demands,” MNLF senior leader said.

“That is the plan of the bandits, seek a lower ransom,” he added.

Citing his friends from the MNLF and the military, source said from their original demands, the bandits led by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan holding Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad have reduced this to P300 million each or some US$6.5 million each.

Manila Bulletin was not able to confirm this with other sources; but the senior MNLF leader has been a reliable source of information. He lives in Jolo, Sulu, and Zamboanga City.

Sawadjaan is also holding hostage Filipino Marites Flor, but has not asked ransom for freedom.

The source opined that Flor’s freedom depends on the three foreigners paying the kidnappers.

A combined groups of Abu Sayyaf elements snatched the four on September 21 on the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, less than an hour by boat from Davao City.
http://www.mb.com.ph/ransom-for-sulu-hostages-lowered-mnlf-source/
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