They include 14 Indonesians and 4 Malaysians
The beheading of a Canadian hostage in Sulu on Monday, April 25, was a grisly reminder of the state of lawlessness in the province, where at least 22 foreign hostages are held captive by the Abu Sayyaf.
Two months after
the September 2015 abduction, the Abu Sayyaf,
in a video, demanded P1 billion ($21 million) each in exchange for
the release of Ridsdel, Hall, the other foreigner caught with them, Norwegian
resort manager Kjartan Sekkingstad, as well as a Filipina, Marites Flor.
In that
one-minute 27-second video released on November 3, 2015, the 4 hostages were
shown sitting in front of armed men, whose faces were covered with masks.The
video, posted by the United States-based jihadist monitor SITE Intelligence
Group, showed the hostages in a jungle setting
Dropped to P300 millionThe ransom demand dropped to P300 million ($6.4 million).
Police sources said the Abu Sayyaf set an ultimatum on April 8, but later agreed to extend it to April 25.
In the most recent video before his beheading, Ridsdel said he would be killed on April 25 if the P300 million ($6.39 million) was not paid.
The gunmen beheaded him afternoon of April 25 then threw his head, wrapped in plastic, on a street in Jolo.
The same sources told Rappler that the foreigners were monitored on April 4 to have been under the close watch of the ASG’s top guns led by Radullan Sahiron, Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, Yasser Igasan, Mujer Sawadjaan, Hairulla Asbang and Idang Susukan. They were spotted in Barangay Lumping Pigi Daho in Talipao, Sulu.
Indonesians, Malaysians
At least 22 foreign captives remain in Sulu.
They include 14 Indonesians who were abducted in two instances this year, 4 Malaysians, one Canadian, one Norwegian, one Dutch, and one Japanese.
Ten of the Indonesians were sailors who were kidnapped while sailing off Sulu waters on March 26 this year. The crew were traveling on a tugboat pulling a barge from Borneo island to the
Four Indonesians were again kidnapped on April 14.
On April 1, gunmen kidnapped 4 Malaysians from a ship off the east coast of
Intelligence sources said the 4 were brought to Sulu as well.
Last year, Malaysian Bernard Then was kidnapped from a seaside restaurant in
Dutch birdwatcher
One of the two European birdwatchers abducted in Tawi-Tawi in 2012 is still being held in Sulu, Dutch national Ewold Horn.
His companion, Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, managed to escape from his captors on December 6, 2014.
At one point, the
Philippine police believed the 64-year-old “treasure hunter,” a Muslim convert,
had joined the Abu Sayyaf – a form of Stockholm Syndrome which had him acting
as the group’s cook. However, this was disputed by other nations, including the
United States ,
which includes him on its list of kidnap victims. (READ: The men Rodwell leaves
behind with the Abu Sayyaf)
Rodwell's
ransom
An Australian was
also a former Abu Sayyaf captive: Warren Richard Rodwell, who was kidnapped in
December 2011 in Ipil, Zamboanga del Sur, and was also brought to Sulu.
The Abu Sayyaf
has turned kidnapping-for-ransom into a cottage industry.
Handing hostages
to larger, better armed groups is a common practice. Larger groups can better
protect and evade authorities. All involved then get a cut of the ransom,
according to Abu Sayyaf members.
The Indonesian
company that employs the 10 kidnapped Indonesian sailors is willing to pay $1
million for their release, according to Indonesia's
Chief
Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan.
Transport
Minister Igansius Jonan earlier told Indonesian media that coal barges
currently in Philippine waters will be escorted back by the Indonesian
military. For ships that cannot be escorted back by the military for the
moment, like those in Tarakan and Manado ,
Jonan said the ships will remain there.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.