Kidnapping for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VIII: Frank Oliver Tam Lim

For well over a decade Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur Province was immune from the anarchy and violence plagueing nearly every corner of the Zamboanga Peninsula. The last recorded KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, was that of 55 year old Nenia "Babet" Candil Gomonit and her 10 year old grandson Ceekim Gomonit on October 30th, 2010. As the two settled in for a quiet evening watching television in their Barangay San Jose home their front door flew open. Rushing into the room a group of BIAF 113 Base Command guerillas who quickly grabbed a shocked Ms.Gomonit and her grandson before dragging them out into their get away vehicle (the "BIAF" being the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the military wing of the MILF).

On December 10th Ceekim's father, Babet's son, received an SMS (text) informing him that since he had refused to even negotiate for a ransom he could dig up his mother's remains on a hillside in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, a municipality just over the border in Lanao del Norte Province (co-incidentaly within 2 kilometers of the 113 Base Command's main camp). In the end, Ms.Gomonit could only be identified by her dentures. Amazingly, her son STILL refused to negotiate over his own son, Ceekim. He defended his position by claiming that it was what his mother would have wanted. To read all about that interesting case refer to my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2010, Part II: Resurrection of the Pentagon Gang" and a follow up entry on Ceekim Gomonit being released, "Kidnap for Ransom for the First Quarter of 2011, Part II."

Before the Gomonits the last kidnapping to take place in Pagadian City was that of local attorney Maria Dolores Adelaida "Maridol" Montano Liong and her 5 year old daughter Alexa Montano Liong in 2001. On March 29th of that year mother and daughter had just left Maridol's office at Ranillo Law Office on Pagadian's Malvar Street. Walking only a couple of steps the two were surrounded by seven guerillas from the BIAF 4th Field Division (which became the 113 Base Command in 2004- are we noticing a particular pattern here?). Despite it being only 430PM on a downtown city street, the men carried long arms (M16s and M14s) as they hustled their two terrified captives past shocked onlookers and into a charcoal coloured Isuzu SUV.

Only after Maridol's husband James, scion of a local Tsinoy family, paid a hefty ransom, did mother and daughter finally gained their release on June 18th, 2001 ("Tsinoy" being a Filipino of Chinese descent). Unlike today, the MILF of 2001 was still being run by its founder, the late Hashim Salamat. Instead of denying his men had kidnapped the two, as the MILF ALWAYS does today, he instead claimed that it was a few rogue guerillas and that in the end it had been the 4th Field Division that had pressured those "rogue guerillas" into freeing the captives, that and a "Room and Lodging Fee," euphanism for ransom here on Mindanao.

With nine years inbetween the Liong and Gomonit kidnappings the people of Pagadian City allowed themselves to imagine that both incidents were merely aberrations. That faux sense of security and invulnerability was shattered on Thursday, October 27th, 2011, in the city's Barangay Gulayon. On the day in question, Frank Oliver Tam Lim, age 32, and his 30 year old brother John Patrick Tam Lim, sons of local Tsinoy businessman Akao "Frank" Lim, were heading to young Frank's poultry outfit, "Fresh Harvest Farm," on National Hiway. As their Toyota Hi Lux pickup truck turned into the farm's access road they were followed by a green Isuzu Highlander SUV.

Stopping at the gate next to the caretaker's home, Frank jumped out of his pickup truck to open the gate's lock. As he did so five men in BIAF fatigues and carrying M16s jumped out of the Isuzu and rushed forward. As they moved past the Lim's pickup truck John Patrick jumped out of the passenger seat and ran for dear life.

From a safe distance John Patrick watched as the BIAF guerillas dragged his brother Frank into the Isuzu SUV before it quickly departed back onto National Hiway, heading across the provincial line into the neighbouring municipality of Polanco in Zamboanga del Norte. With the 113 Base Command's main kidnapping crew, that of sub-Kumamder Waning Abdusalam, now on the run after the Military captured his main camp in the town of Payao, across the border in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, it is quite possible that Lim has been taken by the 114 Base Command. Although centered on Basilan, it also has jurisdictional control over all of Zamboanga City's offshore barangays. With the kidnappers having driven into Polanco and thus into Zamboanga del Norte Province, the province in which Zamboanga City is situated, chances are even greater that he is now the "guest" of the 114 Base Command.

Lim is an attractive target with his father owning several high profile businesses including the Jollibee fast food outlet on the corner of Pagadian City's F.S.Pajares Avenue and Jamisola Street and a high volume coconut oil mill, et cetera,et cetera. The victim, Frank Oliver, lived in Barangay Central, on Rizal Street, and was known by many to keep a regular schedule. Thursday he normally visited the farm after doing his banking. Unfortunately he, like many in Pagadian City, became complacent.