Just a couple of weeks ago in another "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter" entry I had revisited the sad case of young Randelle Patilona Talania from the town of Titay in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. The 9 year old boy had just finished with school for the day and was waiting in front of Titay Central Elementary School for his father to drive him home when two men who had been loitering in front of the school for half an hour suddenly grabbed the terrified boy and dragged him into a green minivan whose side door slammed shut as the two men climbed in after Randelle. As three of Randelle's fellow students watched in shocked horror the minivan took off at a high rate of speed, heading for the town's Barangay Bangco.
Though the Titay MPO, or Municipal Police Office was called almost immediately but came up empty during its very brief search for clues. It wasn't until late that night that the MPO received notification from an MPO in the municipality of Kalawit, in the adjacent province of Zamboanga del Norte telling them that the minivan had been recovered, though it had been burned by the kidnappers. A quick search of the LTO, or Land Transportation Office, databank discovered that the minivan had been registered to a Jose Enriquez of Zamboanga City. As is usually the case however, the vehicle had been reported stolen that very same day.
Randelle's mother, Rosemarie Patilona Talania, is the Barangay Captain of Titay's Barangay Namnam. Like most politicians, from the barangay level up to provincial governor, she had long been targeted by the well entrenched extortion organisations that operate all over Mindanao. Philippine politicians from governor on down receive Internal Revenue Allotments, or IRAs, in what generally amounts to a slush fund, or as Filipinos like to call them, "pork barrels." The idea, in theory, is that these funds should be utilised for pet projects like a post harvest facility or a new xray machine at a public hospital. All too often though the money simply lines a politician's pockets or those of his or her constituency as that politician does their best to ingratiate themselves and hopefully secure re-election. Very often extortionists target politicians for a portion of their IRA. In Ms.Talania's case she had steadfastly resisted these efforts and in return had herself been targeted for kidnapping, with most extortion organisations also engaging in KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom as a lucrative sideline. Apparently it had never occured to Ms.Talania that her loved ones might be targeted in her stead.
Because the kidnapping had been witnessed it had been reported to the MPO, as noted in my first paragraph. Even at that stage it is possible to break off all contact with the authorities and handle all negotiations without outside interference. Even without Ms.Talania's political experience she was undoubtedly well aware that KFR Organisations are extremely well connected. Tied into both the local political establishment as well as into the military and law enforcement detachments within a given area of operation, it is impossible to co-operate with authorities without a kidnapping group not learning at least a part of the exchange. Therefore aside from interference one can never be sure that the extra helpful and sympathetic Vice Mayor isn't relaying all details from your side of the ransom negotiations directly to the kidnappers, or in an equaly probable scenario, are themselves the actual kidnappers. Despite this knowledge Ms.Talania inexplicably allowed the local establishment to take control of ransom negotiations.
Standard Operating Procedure mandates that the Mayor of the municipality in which the kidnapping occurred empanel a Crisis Management Committee, or CMC, to streamline the official response to the crime. The Mayor includes his or her police chief, as well as the chiefs of the PPO, or Police Provincial Office, and PRO, or Police Regional Office, as well as the local military brigade as well as other assorted local power brokers. The Crisis Management Committee also officialy handles the ransom negotiations though most families refuse all contact with the body. Ms.Talania's allowing the CMC to handle all aspects including the POLs, or Proofs of Life, the photos and/or tapes of the victim that aim to prove his or her current state of wellbeing un-necessarily prolonged young Randelle's ordeal.
Originally demanding P20 Million ($440,000) in ransom the kidnappers became irate in late May when the Crisis Management Committee publicly revealed doubts as to the boy's state of wellbeing. Severely asthmatic, he was looking particularly ill in the most recent POL. Though the ransom was subsequently lowered to P10 Million ($220,000) all contact ceased in early July, again because of differences that the KFR Organisation had with the Crisis Management Committee. By August most people weren't expecting a positive outcome, myself included. The objective in any KFR is netting a ransom in as short a period of time as is possible. Breaking off all contact is counter-intuitive and when combined with a less than stellar POL, well you get the idea. Indeed, in a recent "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011" entry, subtitled, "KFR Scorecard," I noted that there was a strong chance that Randelle had died already. It isn't often that I find myself glad I was wrong but I am not ashamed to say that this time at least, it feels great to have been mistaken.
Randelle had been kidnapped by the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as the MILF' military wing is known. The BIAF's 113 Base Command controls virtually all KFR on the Zamboanga Peninsula. When negotiations stalled out in July the 113 Base Command tried selling the boy to the BIAF 114 Base Command, on Basilan Island. The 114 begged off however but managed to make a small profit by brokering the boy's sale to the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group. The broker who sealed the deal was Wahid Pingli. After the sale was completed and the boy transported from Zamboanga del Norte Province, where the 113 Base Command had been holding him to Basilan in late August, negotiations began anew. Knowing that ASG took a much different attitude towards KFR in that if ransoms are not forthcoming they simply kill their prisoners, the family began talks with a new urgency. Requesting the first Proof of Life from the ASG, they were shocked to receive a photo of Randelle holding an M16 and crying. With that photo the family quickly consented to pay the first reduction in ASG's initial ransom demand of P5 Million ($105,000) when at two weels into renewed negotiations ASG dropped it to P3 Million.
On Wednesday, September 13th, at 4PM, Randelle's father dropped off a ransom of P3 Million ($66,000) to a representative of the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga City and was told to return home to Titay to await a phonecall with further instructions regarding his son's imminent release. Just before midnite, huddled with pensive family members and stupidly, with members of the Zamboanga Sibugay PPO-IB, or Police Provincial Office-Intelligence Branch, Randelle's father almost jumped when the phone rang. Mr.Talania was informed that he should be sitting by the phone at 2AM, his son was on his way to his point of release. Finally, at 2AM, the second call came. The caller instructed Mr.Talania to come pick up his son who had been released on National Hiway in Barangay Kitabog, there in Titay.
At 245AM Randelle, skinnier but alive ran to his father and practically jumped into his arms as both collapsed in loud sobs. The three PPO-IB agents shadowing Mr.Talania were themselves caught up in the emotion of the moment as well. After a medical check up and de-briefing at PPO Headquarters in the neighbouring municipality of Ipil Randelle was finally allowed to return home to Titay with his father and a joyous reunion with his family.
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