The choice to use Mayor Alvarez Isnaji of Indanan as negotiator had not been made by sub-Kumander Sulayman "Abu Haris" Patta. Although Professor Octavio Dinampo, Philippine newsanchor Ces Orena Drilon and her two man crew were held in Abu Haris's camp, Haris himself served under Gafur Jumdail (his name is often mangled by the shoddy Philippine media hacks as "Gapur Jundain"), who had laid claim to the jungle covered badlands lying between the iconic Bud Daho and Matanding Hill, two extinct volcanos. This forbidding expanse, known to the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines as the Karawan Complex, a sector in which five of the island's municipalities converge. Jumdail, in turn, served as the right hand man to his brother, Kumander Gumbahali "Dr. Abu Pula" Umbra Jumdail, the leader of a strong faction within the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group. It was Gumbahali Jumdail, a veteran of the MNLF, who opted to use his well respected superior in the MNLF, Alvarez Isnaji.
Mayor Isnaji's son, Haider "Jun" Isnaji was quite close to several members of ASG serving under Abu Haris, the ASG minion charged with actually capturing and holding Ces Drilon and her three companions. In fact three of his cousins were among the kidnappers. Initially Drilon saw Isnaji as an ally, even a savior when-from Drilon's perspective-Isnaji intervened to save Drilon's cameraman Angelo Valderrama from what she believed to be certain decapitation. Although Drilon has presented herself as having been incredibly stoic and firmly resolute during her ordeal, the truth of the matter is, she remained on the verge of hysteria throught most of her captivity. When, on June 11th, her captor's opening ransom demand quickly devolved into Abu Haris reeling in a murderous rage, it was Isnaji whom Drilon begged to intervene.
Drilon had been speaking with her family's chosen negotiator, the Vice Governor of Sulu Province, Lady Anne Sahidula, and per ASG insistence, had had the call on the phone's loudspeaker. Responding to ASG's opening gambit of P20Million ($400,000), Vice Governor Sahidula explained that Drilon's family could only afford P2 Million ($40,000). Abu Haris had been listening intently, struggling to follow the conversation in Tagalog, a language rarely spoken fluently south of Luzon. Upon hearing that Drilon, the captive he had hoped would provide the lionsshare of the colkective ransom, could only generate a paltry P2 Million, he ordered his men to drag Drilon's two man crew-Angelo Valderrama and Jimmy Encarnacion-through the mud before having them kneel back to back. While screaming that he was going to have all four captives killed, he had the two men tied to one another, by their wrists. Now much calmer, but much more menacingly, Abu Haris told Drilon quite matter of factly, that if the entire ransom of P20 Million ($40,000) was not received by 2PM the following day, June 12th, Angelo Valderrama would be decapitated. As Ces Drilon once again slipped into hysteria one of the guerillas standing next to crew member Jimmy Encarnacion looked leeringly at Drilon and advised her to do her makeup so that she would look her best when her loved ones opened up the box containing her severed head.
After several minutes the fourth captive, Professor Octavio Dinampo, himself a Tausug like their captors, warned Drilon that if they did not do something quickly, Angelo Valderrama would certainly die. He quickly explained that in Tausug culture consensus ranks all important so that, having made a definitive threat, Abu Haris could not renege even if he wanted to. Because a consensus had been reached on that issue, it was now entirely out of his hands. Dinampo recommended that they make an acceptable counter-offer along the lines of something much more attractive than the aforementioned P2 Million serving as an advance payment on the P20 Million total. Dinampo recommended offering P10 Million in exchange for the release of one of the captives, and barring the delivery of that amount, accepting P5 Million to extend the deadline. This would allow Abu Haris to save face if he called off the 2PM deadline.
Drilon quickly nodded in agreement and Dinampo approached Abu Haris. Returning to Drilon's side he informed her that Abu Haris had agreed to discuss the counter-offer with his men and if the managed to reach another consensus on the issue, he would let Dinampo know.
As the sun sank below the horizon both Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderrama were led to seperate hammocks with one arm tied to one of the supporting trees. Dinampo and Drilon could do nothing more, so both watched and waited. Just after 9PM Abu Haris approached the plastic tarp where Dinampo and Drilon were laying restlessly. Grinning from ear to ear, Abu Haris informed the two that a consensus had been reached. A minimum downpayment of P5 Million ($100,000) would forstall Valderrama's impending decapitation. Drilon was handed a cellphone and instructed to make the ransom arrangements. Afraid that Vice Govenor Sahidullah's involvement might cause Abu Haris to once again become enraged, Drilon adressed the Vice Governor as "sister" and stated in no uncetrtain terms that P5 Million needed to be delivered to Mayor Isnaji Alvarez by 2PM the following afternoon.
That evening, Drilon's brother Frank left Manila aboard a private jet carrying a duffel bag with P5 Million ($100,000). Landing in Jolo City at just after 2AM he was met by Vice Governor Sahidullah and Senior Superintendent (SSupt) Winnie Quidato, who presented himself as pointman for the DILG, or Department of the Interior and Local Government. Frank got a quick update and handed off the money before climbing back aboard the jet for his flight home to Manila. Vice Governor Sahidullah and SSupt.Quidato then made their way to the municipality of Indanan where the money was given to Mayor Isnaji. It took Isnaji several hours to communicate receipt of the money but when he did, he explained that of the P5 Million earmarked for ASG, P2 Million would be needed to pay off a host of important personalities, including Vice Governor Sahidullah. An additional P1 Million was being taken by Isnaji himself, as his "commission." After all, he had just begun a costly run for the Governorship of the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Factional leader Gumbahali Jumdail was in no position to argue, he had just received an effortless P1 Million for himself, and another to be divvied up by his brother Gafur and Abu Haris.
The next day, at 140PM, Abu Haris informed Drilon and Dinampo that Valderrama would not be dying. An hour later, barely able to contain himself, Haris again approached Dilon and informed her that the ransom was already with Mayor Isnaji and that he had been instructed to release Angelo Valderrama as a "present." That evening, as the guerillas celebrated their good fortune, Valderrama said his emotional goodbyes to his colleagues and Professor Dinampo. At just past midnite, June 13th, when Abu Haris and twelve of his men began escorting Valderrama out of the jungle. At 830PM that night, Valderrama was handed off to Mayor Isnaji's son Haider in the municipality of Talipao's Barangay Sinumaan. Taken to Isnaji's compound in Indanan, he was fed a good meal and then passed to the PPO-Sulu, or Police Provincial Office for Sulu Province for the requisite medical exam and debriefing.
Back in the Karawan Complex, the three remaining captives sat uneasily, the joy of Valderrama's release had quickly evaporated, if it had ever touched them at all. Still, with only ten guerrilas in the camp, and their leader gone, there was a more relaxing atmosphere, though "relaxing" is about as misplaced adjective as one could imagine. Whatever good cheer might have been had was hopelessly out of reach when, on the next day, June 14th, Abu Haris led his column of guerilas back into camp. When the group returned they joyfully passed out what amounted to six months wages there abouts, but even the guerillas' good cheer was fleeting as Abu Haris immediately gave the order to break camp.
As the guerillas began packing Abu Haris approached the three captives, now being kept together, and informed them that if at least half of the remaining P15 Million ($300,000) in outstanding ransom money was not delivered by June 16th, one of the three captives would be beheaded. Once again Ces Drilon segued from highly emotional into outright hysteria, causing a dismayed Abu Haris to add that Mayor Isnaji had requested, as a concession, that the deadline be extended until June 17th, and so it had been arranged.
As it turned out, the new encampment has a mere 30 minutes downhill, on the western slope of Matanding Hill, and after quickly settling in, Abu Harris rounded up the ten guerillas who had left behind when Angelo Valderrama had been released. They were now being given the same opportunity to quickly visit their home and distribute their share of the ransom to their loved ones.
The new camp consisted of "nipas," bamboo framed huts with palmleaf thatched walls. However, they lacked roofs and so once again, plastic tarps were spread over head to protect the captives from the elements. As if waiting for the new deadline of June 16th to pass was not difficult enough, on June 14th, the three captives had awoken to a lengthly mortar barrage as the AFP's 81MM mortar shells rained down upon an MNLF-EC15 (Executive Council of 15) came in the municipality of Indanan's Barangay Siyunugan. Of 25 rounds that dropped that morning in Sitio Timaho, four made direct hits on residential homes, wounding five civilians in addition to an undetermined number of MNLF guerillas:
1) Sitti Bia Bahara
2) Merna Abon
3) Wawan Ibni
4) Apa Atan
5) Ismael Idja
In addition, all of the nearly 200 families living in the sitio were made into "Bakwits," Philippine speak for "IDPs," or Internally Displaced Persons...refugees. MNLF-EC15 Kumander Sumimpal Khanain correctly noted that ASG stayed wel clear of his camp, and indeed, was rarely seen on that side of Bud Kapok, the dormant volcano upon which the camp sits. The AFP engaged in alot of double talk, claiming intermittingly that it was merely a drill...a long planned push for the year old OPlan Ultimatim...a surgical strike aiming to neutralize Jemayah Islamiyyah, or JI bombmaker Umar Patek...anything, as long as it wasnt the truth. In fact, it was a punative response aimed at Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, the highest ranking MNLF-EC15 figure in Sulu Province. The pointman for the DILG? SSupt.Winnie Quidato? He was actually a PNP, or Philippine National Police intelligence operative. During the delivery of the initial P5 Million,
Quidato had amassed enough circumstantial evidence to convince his superiors that Isnaji was neck deep in the Drilon KFR. The mortar volley on Bud Kapok was Isnaji's wakeup cal
As if a mortar attack isnt a miserable enough way to be woken up, after finally getting some much needed sleep later in the day, Drilon and her two companions were angrily woken up by screaming guerillas who accused them of mounting an escape attempt. Conditions worsened considerably when Drilon and her remaining crew member, Jimmy Encarnacion, each had their wrists tied together, with Encarnacion's wrists tied behind his back.
On June 16th the day began with the guerillas threatening to decapitate Jimmy Encarnacion and giving Drilon the phone, instructing her to contact her family for the next installment of the ransom. Instead Drilon called Senator Loren Legarda. The Senator, an opportunist if ever one existed, had obtained Drilon's cellphone number from Senator Franklin Drilon, related to Ces by her husband. Gaining the number, Legarda began texting Ces and so, just as she had with Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, Drilon began her over-reliance on yet another self-serving politician.
At just before noon Jimmy Encarnacion was prepared for beheading while Ces Drilon was once again instructed to pgone her family for an update on the ransom installment. Again Drilon sureptitiously phoned Senator Legarda and earned a hard slap in the face for her troubles. Drilon hit the floor hard, crying and moaning, she witnessed Jimmy being beaten with the stock of an M16. As Jimmy cried, begging for his life, the cellphone Drilon had just used began ringing. The guerilla that answered the call listened carefully, ended the call and began lauging joyously as he informed the shocked captives they were being released.
Unbeknownst to Ces Drilon and her fellow captives, while she had made her first phone call to Senator Legarda that motning, two duffel bags, each containing P7.5 Million ($175,000) had been leaving Manila aboard private jet. In Zamboanga City the bags were transferred to a chartered Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair) flight to Jolo City, in order to circumvent the extra-heavy media attention that could easily derail the ransom payoff. More to the point, Drilon's very high public profile had the Government extremely nervous over its "No Ransom Policy." Officialy, it is illegal to pay a ransom. Unofficialy, noone really cares EXCEPT when the media gets yet another golden opportunity to showcase Government hypocrisy. When the chartered plane landed in Jolo City the PNP Aviation Services Group was highly suscpicious seeing as how a charteted airline devoid of passengers had just landed and refiled a Flight Plan with almost no turn around time.
The PNP searched the plane and of course quickly discovered the two unaccompanied duffelbags full of cash. As the police prepared to steal...I mean "seize" the money, local attorney Nasser Inawat stepped forward inside the airport terminal with a written order from Vice Governor Sahidullah and was handed both bags. Inawat, a fomer member of the ARMM CLA (Consultative Regional Assembly) then delivered the money to Mayor Isnaji. Though he surely would have wished to do otherwise, Isnaji was now compelled by the ASG to turn over all the cash, his commision having been covered already.
Ces Drilon, Jimmy Encarnacion, and Professor Octavio Dinampo ended their nine day sojourn with a five hour walk into the municipality of Talipao's Barangay Kagay. There, Vice Governor Sahidullah accompanied disheveled but ecstatic Drilon and her companions to the Isnaji compound in Indanan. Fed, bathed and given a bed to sleep in, the three along with their hosts, Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider, were driven into Jolo City very early the next morning and from there took an AFP Huey (UH-1H helicopter) to Zamboanga City. Professor Dinampo left them there and Drilon and Encarnacion boarded a private jet bound for Manila with the Isnajis
The Isnajis were arrested after two days of interrogation at PNP Headquarters, Camp Crame. By October everyone of the eight young men who initially took custody of Ces Drilon and her companions had been arrested but so what? aged.14 through 21, the most educated among them had a fifth grade education. less than P1,000 ($20) each, their lives were ruined by those tasked with leading them...people like Mayor Alvarez Isnaji. Isnaji and his son just had their cases re-filed on Money Laundering charges, after escaping the more serious Kidnapping charges but alas, I will have to get to that sordid tale in a "Political Developments" entry.
The operative lesson here is that a journalist, Ces Drilon, thought herself entirely above the fray. Even after being warned not to do so by her superior Ms.Drilon still saw fit to endanger her crew in hopes of sticking another feather into her cap. Her employer, the Manila-based network, ABS-CBN, merely gave her a 90 day suspension...while milking her faux paux for all it was worth in the ratings. The scary thing? Ces Drilon was the THIRD case of an interview with the ASG turned into a big money KFR. Just this month, June of 2012, four years almost to the day, yet another journalist thought themselves above the fray. In "Part 3" I will discuss that ongoing abduction.
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