Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part V: Monaliza Almonte Kapa

NOTE: Although the Philippine Media is notoriously shoddy vis a vis accuracy and fact checking, in the case I am about to discuss they have been terribly remiss; the victim's name is being reported as "Monalisa Capa." Perhaps they will eventually get it right but I cannot be overly optimistic towards this end.


On Sunday evening, October 9th, 2011 Monaliza Almonte Kapa was working late in her ice plant next to the municipal pier in the town of Pitogo's Barangay Poblacion in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Though she was only two blocks for her home in Barangay Poblacion's Purok Pechay she needed to personally attend to the plant whose machinery had been spotty all day. Fishermen work seven days a week and they begin loading up on ice in the late afternoon to early evening as they make ready to head out to sea. Ms.Kapa was just as attentive in all her endeavours. Aside from the ice plant she an her husband own their own fish pond as coastal fish farms are known and a petrol service station as well. Sadly it was this success that led to Ms.Kapa's current predicament since success breeds jealousy and jealousy breeds violence, at least in the Southern Philippines.

At 645PM that evening ten guerillas from the 113 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the MILF's military wing is known, came ashore in front of her ice plant. The ten men, all wearing the BIAF's trademark Malaysian tiger patterned camouflage fatigues and brandishing assault rifles, wasted no time, with six of them quickly fanning out to form a security perimeter. Leaving their three motor bancas idling, as motorised skiffs are locally known, four of the guerillas entered the plant. Grabbing a shocked Ms.Kapa they marched the frightened woman out to one of the three boats before turning towards Olutanga Island in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. Olutanga serves as a rendevouz point for the 113 Base Command's sub-Kumander Waning Abdulsalam and his brother, sub-Kumander Ustadz Abral Abdulsalam, both of whom lead co-operating KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom groups.

As I have described in a number of other "Kidnap for Ransom" entries the BIAF's 113 is one of a number of Base Commands that has begun to rely on KFR as its main source of fundraising.