In a Third Quarter of 2010 entry I discussed the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, of Japanese expatriate Toshio Ito. Ito arrived in the Philippines in 2000. The 54 year old man from Hiroshima brought his life savings with him and sought to re-invent himself as so many expatriates in the Philippines seem to do.
Travelling south Ito established himself in Dumaguete, on Negros Island. Via an internet dating site Ito met a nubile teenaged Filipina from Misamis Occidental Province on Mindanao. Travelling to our fair isle in 2002 Mr.Ito made his way to his paramour's hometown, Plaridel. It was in Plaridel that Toshio Ito began calling himself Katayama Mamaito. Believing he had found the love of his life, Mr.Ito invested all his life savings in a home for the young lady and her family, and in a sand and gravel business to keep them all afloat.
By 2004 both his love life and his business had gone belly up. His young Filipina not only left him, she kept the house Ito had bought- since it is illegal for foreigners to buy land (though they CAN inherit it from a deceased spouse-in the young lady's name. Adding the proverbial insult to injury, Ito's ex-girlfriend then began a relationship with a Westerner who then promptly moved into Ito's home, ex-home, you get the picture...
As many might, Toshio Ito took a dive off the deep end. One day, soused on "tuba," the local rotgut, Ito broke into the house. Though only Ito knows what he had in mind, the young lady's maid-paid for out of money stolen from Ito's failed sand and gravel business- spotted the drunk man and alerted a next door neighbour. This being Mindanao after all, the neighbour grabbed his trusted M14 and quickly confronted Ito who collapsed im gut wrenching sobs.
Incarcerated in the Plaridel City Jail, Toshio Ito cum Katayama Mamaito, spent the next seven days lying in what to most readers would be unimaginable filth. Finally, his few local friends pooled their money to bail their poor friend out of jail. Toshio Ito promptly repaid the kindness of his friends by absconding and forfeiting their bail...that is...after he borrowed still more money.
Making his way to a low rent hostel in Zamboanga City, Ito then did what Toshio Ito apparently does best, he wallowed in self pity, told his "woe unto me" sob stories to anybody who even glanced at him, and attempted to once again live off of the misplaced kindness of strangers. Ito didnt have much luck in that last endeavour, at least until he ran across a middle aged Sama woman from Pangaturan Island. In town for a medical exam, the woman was about to sit down to lunch when she made the terrible mistake of listening to Toshio Ito's sad lament. Inviting the pitiful man to join her, her treat of course, the two had a long and meandering conversation. Hearing why the woman was in Zamboanga City, Ito, like any adept conman, introduced himself as Dr.Katayama Mamaito, of Hiroshima, though since his wife had died in a terrible train wreck, he had lost everything as he spiraled into the abyss of depression. By the end of the meal the two were getting on like long lost friends.
At the woman's insistence, Ito spoke with her husband by phone. A retired village politician, the man insisted Ito join his wife for the trip south to Pangaturan, and to honor them by becoming their treasured house guest. Ito didnt have many options at this point, in fact, with just two days left at the hostel, he had no options whatsoever. So it was that Toshio Ito, a penniless Japanese man, ended up living in a remote corner of Sulu Province.
On Pangaturan it didnt take Ito long to figure out the surest way to ingratiate himself with his new host, a mid-ranking officer in the MNLF-Misuari. Studying Islam, Ito announced that he had seen the light and was now ready to accept the true faith, Islam. Converting in front of the entire population of Pangaturan's Barangay Bangkilay, he took the name Ameer (Prince, usually spelled "Emir"), a common name for male converts. Dr.Ameer Katayama Mamaito next gained entry into the MNLF-Misuari and was assigned as a medic. Pleased beyond measure, Ito's new hosts readily agreed when their houseguest hit them up for seed money to open a small pharmacy in that barangay's Sitio Bas.
From 2004 until 2010, Ito led a quiet and unassuming life. Perhaps the forlorn man had finally found what all of us seek, a loving home. He was respected in his community, so much so that his friends in the MNLF, learning that Ito had run afoul of Philippine Visa Regulations, obtained a black market birth certificate from crooked officials in Marawi City on Mainland Mindanao. However, not everybody was so taken with Toshio Ito. Younger men had begun circulating rumors that Ito was a Deep Penetration Agent out to spy on the MNLF. Despite his many defenders in the community, the aituation continued to worsen and on the evening of July 16th, 2010, it came to a head.
Ito was dragged out of his bed at just past 10PM that evening by ten young men carrying assault rifles. Frog marching Ito to a mangrove Ito must have been sure that his luck had finally run out. Instead of executing the frightened Japanese man however, the young men forced Ito into an idling pumoboat which then castoff and sailed for Jolo Island.
For a year and a half little was known about Toshio Ito's fate, other then he had been handed off to subordinates of MNLF-Misuari commander, Kumander Ustadz Habir Malik upon making landfall on Jolo. It was also known that the MNLF had turned a fast profit by selling Ito to the ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group. Held by the faction led by Kumander Ninok Sappari, who when not keeping Ito's hands tightly bound with rope, compels the emaciated captive to cook whatever livestock they have stolen.
Because Ito cooks, Police Provincial Office for Sulu Province (PPO-Sulu), via its Director, Senior Superintendent Antonio Freyra, has gone on the record as saying that Toshio Ito is now a full fledged member of ASG. Given Ito's nefarious past it is not difficult at all to understand just why PPO-Sulu has sought the easy way out of meeting its responsibilities in this case. Not suprisingly, the Japanese Embassy has likewise abdicated its responsibilities. On March 14th, 2012, the PNP, or Philippine National Police, officially removed Toshio Ito from its roster of KFR victims and re-classified him as a member of ASG. Talk about "Stockholm Syndrome" gone bad. In fact, he exists in a grey netherworld where his captors, having shelled out cash to buy him from the MNLF, are reluctant to release him without even a minimal net profit. On the other hand, executing Ito, the normal course of events in such cases, is not a realistic option given Ito's conversion to Islam. So, for the forseeable future, Toshio Ito's life will remain a living hell.
Showing posts with label Abu Sayyaf Group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abu Sayyaf Group. Show all posts
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Friday, December 2, 2011
Abu Sayyaf Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part II: Resurrection of the Abu Sayyaf Urban Terrorist Group, Part 2
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Abu Sayyaf Armed Contacts for the Second Quarter of 2011, Part II: AFP Operations in Al Barka End, Two Abu Sayyaf Guerillas Killed
I need to open this with a rejoinder that this was a Second Quarter of 2011 incident. Ergo, this was months before the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines operation in October of 2011 that ended so badly with the loss of eighteen Scout Rangers in Basilan Province's municipality of Al Barka.
**************************************************************************
On Saturday April 16th, 2011, at 615AM, the AFP's 3rd Special Forces Battalion (Airborne) once again captured the Abu Sayyaf Camp in the municipality of Al Barka's Barangay Makalang. Ironically the capture marked the end of a two month campaign against the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group's Jamiri Faction. That campaign began in February just after the AFP capture this very same camp.
According to standard military accumen, as well as according to AFP protocols, once a camp is captured it is turned over to the LGU, or, the Local Government Unit (as in municipal and/or provincial government). The LGU is supposed to then co-ordinate its local armed forces (CAAs, as in Civilian Active Auxiliaries, such as CAFGU, SCAA, or the CVO, the latter an LGU dedicated force under the supervision of the PNP, or Philippine National Police). The CAA, the progeny of the infamous Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF) of the Marcos Era, is then tasked with "Holding" the tract, repelling any counter-operations launched to re-capture it as well as any kind of subversive armed activities around it.
Al Barka however, is a relatively new municipality carved out of the adjacent town of Tipo Tipo. It receives no IRA, or Internal Revenue Allotment. This allotment provides the funding for CAA operations in any given municipality. Therefore, after capturing this same camp in Janurary, the AFP "Cleared" the sector and turned it over to the LGU, in this case the municipal government. The LGU, having no means with which to "Hold" it promptly abandoned it, hence the two month operation that basically had the AFP treading water. The operation centered on the town of Al Barka, particularly its Barangays Cambug, Linuan, Kailih, Danapah, Guinanta and of course Makalang in addition to the adjoining Barangay's Limba Upas and Baguindan in Tipo Tipo.
Fifteen ASG guerillas had been sighted moving through the jungles around Al Barka and so once again, the AFP found itself trying to capture the ASG camp in Barangay Makalang's Sitio Bohe Bu'ug. Al Barka's Barangays Guinanta and Kailih are BIAF controlled. The BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, are the military wing of the MILF. Like all BIAF on Basilan they belong to the 114 Base Command. Naturally, as we were reminded in October of 2011, operating in close proximity to any BIAF position very often leads to extreme violence. In addition, there is a close relationship between the 114 Base Command and the ASG. Indeed, in both that aforementioned Janurary AND this latest incident, the BIAF DID engage the AFP after the latter inadvertently crossed the outer perimeter of the BIAF 114 Command's 3rd Brigade Camp- the same 3rd Brigade that would involve itself in the October 18th killing of AFP Scout Rangers.
On the day in question however, April 16th, 2011, at the ASG camp, only the ASG engaged the AFP. The AFP's superior forces outmanned the ASG who as noted had less than a single platoon's worth of fighters. When the smoke cleared the AFP managed to capture three M16s, one of which was fitted with an M203 rifle grenade launcher, and one M14. In addition to two dead ASG guerillas, three wounded guerillas were taken into custody. The two deceased were immediately turned over to the Barangay Captain of Makalang, himself a BIAF guerilla.
**************************************************************************
On Saturday April 16th, 2011, at 615AM, the AFP's 3rd Special Forces Battalion (Airborne) once again captured the Abu Sayyaf Camp in the municipality of Al Barka's Barangay Makalang. Ironically the capture marked the end of a two month campaign against the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group's Jamiri Faction. That campaign began in February just after the AFP capture this very same camp.
According to standard military accumen, as well as according to AFP protocols, once a camp is captured it is turned over to the LGU, or, the Local Government Unit (as in municipal and/or provincial government). The LGU is supposed to then co-ordinate its local armed forces (CAAs, as in Civilian Active Auxiliaries, such as CAFGU, SCAA, or the CVO, the latter an LGU dedicated force under the supervision of the PNP, or Philippine National Police). The CAA, the progeny of the infamous Civilian Home Defense Force (CHDF) of the Marcos Era, is then tasked with "Holding" the tract, repelling any counter-operations launched to re-capture it as well as any kind of subversive armed activities around it.
Al Barka however, is a relatively new municipality carved out of the adjacent town of Tipo Tipo. It receives no IRA, or Internal Revenue Allotment. This allotment provides the funding for CAA operations in any given municipality. Therefore, after capturing this same camp in Janurary, the AFP "Cleared" the sector and turned it over to the LGU, in this case the municipal government. The LGU, having no means with which to "Hold" it promptly abandoned it, hence the two month operation that basically had the AFP treading water. The operation centered on the town of Al Barka, particularly its Barangays Cambug, Linuan, Kailih, Danapah, Guinanta and of course Makalang in addition to the adjoining Barangay's Limba Upas and Baguindan in Tipo Tipo.
Fifteen ASG guerillas had been sighted moving through the jungles around Al Barka and so once again, the AFP found itself trying to capture the ASG camp in Barangay Makalang's Sitio Bohe Bu'ug. Al Barka's Barangays Guinanta and Kailih are BIAF controlled. The BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, are the military wing of the MILF. Like all BIAF on Basilan they belong to the 114 Base Command. Naturally, as we were reminded in October of 2011, operating in close proximity to any BIAF position very often leads to extreme violence. In addition, there is a close relationship between the 114 Base Command and the ASG. Indeed, in both that aforementioned Janurary AND this latest incident, the BIAF DID engage the AFP after the latter inadvertently crossed the outer perimeter of the BIAF 114 Command's 3rd Brigade Camp- the same 3rd Brigade that would involve itself in the October 18th killing of AFP Scout Rangers.
On the day in question however, April 16th, 2011, at the ASG camp, only the ASG engaged the AFP. The AFP's superior forces outmanned the ASG who as noted had less than a single platoon's worth of fighters. When the smoke cleared the AFP managed to capture three M16s, one of which was fitted with an M203 rifle grenade launcher, and one M14. In addition to two dead ASG guerillas, three wounded guerillas were taken into custody. The two deceased were immediately turned over to the Barangay Captain of Makalang, himself a BIAF guerilla.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Abu Sayyaf Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part I: Abu Sayyaf Decapitates Two Marines
Soldiers dying in defence of their dury is always poigbant but many, if not most, take some measure of comfort knowing that such men have not died in vain...but what about when soldiers die needlessly?
Sitio Tubig Magtuh in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Panglayahan sits in between two sheer-faced peaks, Mount Tunggol and Mount Gasam. Towards the rear of the sitio going upland there is a very sharp incline, heavily forested with successive ridgelines. The only way in is by foot and going uphill. Above the third ridgeline the land takes a more gentle slope and it is there that the Abu Sayyaf's Kumander Radullan "Putol" Sahiron established a well entrenched encampment.
On July 27th, 2011 the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, implemented its OPlan (Operational Plan)_ Wild Finger, the latest facet of its more comprehensive OPlan Five Fingers. Wild Finger aimed to de-stabilise the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group infrastructure by putting all its numerous Jolo-based factions on the defencive with an aggressive and concerted Fleet-Marine push ("Fleet Marine" being the inclusive Naval-Marine intertwined operational doctrine implemented by the AFP in 2006). Marine Battalion Landing Team #5, or MBLT-5, 311th Company divided itself into three platoons of thirty-two riflemen and one commanding officer and divvied up its given AOR, or Area of Responsibility (as in "Area of Operation").
After midnite Company 311's Platoon 30, under Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, cautiously entered the upland barangay of Panglayahan and began advancing very slowly as the barangay is ASG-controlled in its upper environs. At 315AM, as the thirty-three men began moving painstakingly slow, advancing up a steep rise, the skies opened up with a torrential thunderstorm. As the men stopped to quietly switch into their rain gear the jungle uphill and to the sides of them came alive with automatic rifle fire.
Immediately Second Lieutenant Baladad and the man closest to him, his second in command, Seargant Desiderio Serdan Jr., who was carrying the platoon's ICOM radio, fell, both instantly killed in the initial fusiilade. The remaining thirty-one men, now rudderless, devoid of command, spread out and fell to their stomachs as their years of training kicked in. Unable to even crawl to Seargant Serdan to call in on the ICOM for assistance the marines concentrated their fire, ever mindful of conserving ammunition. Holding their positions they continued inching to the sides to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from encircling them. Applying pressure on both flanks the marines were slowly able to force the ASG guerillas into a short retreat uphill, albeit to a posiion still very well within firing range.
With rain subsiding just after daybreak the Abu Sayyaf began re-gaining what little ground they had lost. Outnumbering their Marine counterparts by a factor of two and using well honed tactics the guerillas soon had the platoon retreating down hill though very slowly. Seven dead Marines were left where they had died, as the twenty-six survivors, all wounded to the last man themselves, maintained a cohesive formation and repelled numerous attempts to outflank their position. By 7AM the ASG firepower diminished and then quickly subsided as the guerillas retreated further into the mountains.
Slowly the platoon re-climbed the slope to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades and any equipment they might salvage. Not only were all seven corpses stripped of everything but their underwear, four of the corpses had been defiled. Second Lieutenant Baladad and another of the fallen, Corporal Freddie Castellano Jr., had been decapitated and their hads had been taken with the retreating guerillas. Two other corpses had been mutilated with a sword. With the ICOM now captured by the Abu Sayyaf the twenty-six surviving- but wounded- members of Platoon 30 realised that they were ill equipped to negotiate the very steep, and now muddied slopes while carrying their fallen comrades. Therefore they reluctantly made their way downhill without the seven and threaded their way into the town proper. There a corporal phoned in a status report to Brigade Headquarters and tended to the most seriously injured amongst them.
It was late in the afternoon before two UH-1H helicopters, popularly known as "Hueys," landed near the town's municipal compound. Taking two of the least injured Marines aboard, one in each helicopter, they lifted off covered by two MG-520 helicopter gunships hovering on their flanks for aircover. The Hueys disgorged portions of MBLTs 5 and 10, the other two battalions engaged in OPlan Wild Finger, and the tedious and painstaking recovery effort began. By night fall the seven bodies of the fallen Marines. The casualties:
1) Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, the platoon leader, of Quezon City in Metro Manila. He left behind his wife Michelle and their two young children, Macky, age 6, and Mikayla, age 2. Michelle had spoken to her husband just before he led his men into the jungle. They had discussed his upcoming R and R (Rest and Relaxation, aka "Leave") just a week away and how they were going to take the kids to the Manila Zoo. Sadly, she had last seen her husband in March when they had gotten married.
2) Seargant Desiderio Serdan Jr., a resident of Iriga City in Camarines del Sur Province on Luzon.
3) Corporal Freddie Castellano Jr., a lifelong resident of Sitio Mercedes in the municipality of La Castellana's Barangay Sag-ang. He and his family lived on Hacienda Mercedes, a sugar plantation where Corporal Castellano had laboured before entering the military.
4) Corporal Claro Lapasaran III, a resident of the municipality of Barotac's Barangay Licuan in Nuevo Iolio Province in the Central Philippine's Visayas Region.
5) Corporal Ramsel Laynesa, a resident of the municipality of Nabua in the province of Camarines del Sur on Luzon.
6) Private First Class Juanito Evasco Jr., also a resident of Nabua.
7) Private Nico Tinambunan, a lifelong resident of Lamitan City in Basilan Province.
All seven bodies were immediately brought to Camp Bautista in Jolo City on that same island of Jolo where they were stored as arrangements were made. Early Saturday morning, July 30th, they were transported to Camp Erwin Andrews in Zamboanga City where Private Tinambunan's body was offloaded. As a Muslim his funeral had to take place as soon as possible. Ideally a Muslim must be interred before sunset on the day of his or her death but in this case not much could be done. As his body was flown across the strait to Basilan the C-130 lifted off for the flight to Manila where the six remaining corpses would be given a military funeral. Upon landing each white enameled coffin was loaded onto six separate hearses and driven to the auditorium at Marine Headquarters at Fort Bonifacio.
The next morning, Sunday, July 31st, President Aquino made his appearance aa did all high ranking personalities in the military echelon. The President vowed revenge, and promised that each family of the deceased would receive P250,000 ($5,150), a vertible fortune in Philippine terms at nearly two times the annual salary of an enlisted man. The payouts will be sourced from the Presidential Social Fund, a euphanism for "Slush Fund." Considering that AFP personnel are dying in combat every month it seems a bit strange that President Aquino would offer such largesse when he never even raises an eyebrow when other soldiers or marines are killed. Photo opportunities make all the difference.
Each of the seven men received a promotion of a single rank which is a standard procedure and does help to boost the pension any spouse or primary survivor will receive. Also, President Aquino personally awarded- posthumously- the nation's second highest honour, the Gold Cross, for "Gallantry in Action." Again, plenty of people dying and noone bats an eye. On Tuesday, August 2nd, all bodies were released to their families with the AFP delivering them.
Some readers may have remembered that in my first paragraph I had inferred that these seven men gave up their lives for nothing. That seems extremely harsh, but I am sure that if you know the facts that you very well might agree with me.
That very same Abu Sayyaf camp in Sitio Tubig Magtuh? It has been overun and captured by AFP Marines no less than five times in the last seven years. It is true that in war a barren hill with no apparent utility tactically OR strategically can be taken, and re-taken, with great casualties incurred. However, in insurgency it is a different story. When a strategic position is captured, no matter the cost, it must be held and eventually consolidated with other similarly cleared assets. Realising that Sitio Tubig Magtuh holds extreme strategical value for Kumander Sahiron the AFP should have long ago capitalised on its gains there and at least biouvaced a CAA, or Civilian Active Auxiliary (as in CAFGU or CVO) detachment there to repel any future attempts at re-taking the site.
Sadly, each of the several AFP assaults on that particular camp have taken place at a particular time of year, late March. So, just about every Easter Week the AFP sends in a Marine detachment, usually from MBLT-5, to re-take this same camp. It borders on insanity. At least this time the AFP has learned a lesson or two and has installed a military post at the encampment site. Naming the post "Camp Baladad" in honour of Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, the fallen platoon leader, it is manned by a platoon from none other than MBLT-5.
Sitio Tubig Magtuh in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Panglayahan sits in between two sheer-faced peaks, Mount Tunggol and Mount Gasam. Towards the rear of the sitio going upland there is a very sharp incline, heavily forested with successive ridgelines. The only way in is by foot and going uphill. Above the third ridgeline the land takes a more gentle slope and it is there that the Abu Sayyaf's Kumander Radullan "Putol" Sahiron established a well entrenched encampment.
On July 27th, 2011 the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, implemented its OPlan (Operational Plan)_ Wild Finger, the latest facet of its more comprehensive OPlan Five Fingers. Wild Finger aimed to de-stabilise the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group infrastructure by putting all its numerous Jolo-based factions on the defencive with an aggressive and concerted Fleet-Marine push ("Fleet Marine" being the inclusive Naval-Marine intertwined operational doctrine implemented by the AFP in 2006). Marine Battalion Landing Team #5, or MBLT-5, 311th Company divided itself into three platoons of thirty-two riflemen and one commanding officer and divvied up its given AOR, or Area of Responsibility (as in "Area of Operation").
After midnite Company 311's Platoon 30, under Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, cautiously entered the upland barangay of Panglayahan and began advancing very slowly as the barangay is ASG-controlled in its upper environs. At 315AM, as the thirty-three men began moving painstakingly slow, advancing up a steep rise, the skies opened up with a torrential thunderstorm. As the men stopped to quietly switch into their rain gear the jungle uphill and to the sides of them came alive with automatic rifle fire.
Immediately Second Lieutenant Baladad and the man closest to him, his second in command, Seargant Desiderio Serdan Jr., who was carrying the platoon's ICOM radio, fell, both instantly killed in the initial fusiilade. The remaining thirty-one men, now rudderless, devoid of command, spread out and fell to their stomachs as their years of training kicked in. Unable to even crawl to Seargant Serdan to call in on the ICOM for assistance the marines concentrated their fire, ever mindful of conserving ammunition. Holding their positions they continued inching to the sides to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from encircling them. Applying pressure on both flanks the marines were slowly able to force the ASG guerillas into a short retreat uphill, albeit to a posiion still very well within firing range.
With rain subsiding just after daybreak the Abu Sayyaf began re-gaining what little ground they had lost. Outnumbering their Marine counterparts by a factor of two and using well honed tactics the guerillas soon had the platoon retreating down hill though very slowly. Seven dead Marines were left where they had died, as the twenty-six survivors, all wounded to the last man themselves, maintained a cohesive formation and repelled numerous attempts to outflank their position. By 7AM the ASG firepower diminished and then quickly subsided as the guerillas retreated further into the mountains.
Slowly the platoon re-climbed the slope to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades and any equipment they might salvage. Not only were all seven corpses stripped of everything but their underwear, four of the corpses had been defiled. Second Lieutenant Baladad and another of the fallen, Corporal Freddie Castellano Jr., had been decapitated and their hads had been taken with the retreating guerillas. Two other corpses had been mutilated with a sword. With the ICOM now captured by the Abu Sayyaf the twenty-six surviving- but wounded- members of Platoon 30 realised that they were ill equipped to negotiate the very steep, and now muddied slopes while carrying their fallen comrades. Therefore they reluctantly made their way downhill without the seven and threaded their way into the town proper. There a corporal phoned in a status report to Brigade Headquarters and tended to the most seriously injured amongst them.
It was late in the afternoon before two UH-1H helicopters, popularly known as "Hueys," landed near the town's municipal compound. Taking two of the least injured Marines aboard, one in each helicopter, they lifted off covered by two MG-520 helicopter gunships hovering on their flanks for aircover. The Hueys disgorged portions of MBLTs 5 and 10, the other two battalions engaged in OPlan Wild Finger, and the tedious and painstaking recovery effort began. By night fall the seven bodies of the fallen Marines. The casualties:
1) Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, the platoon leader, of Quezon City in Metro Manila. He left behind his wife Michelle and their two young children, Macky, age 6, and Mikayla, age 2. Michelle had spoken to her husband just before he led his men into the jungle. They had discussed his upcoming R and R (Rest and Relaxation, aka "Leave") just a week away and how they were going to take the kids to the Manila Zoo. Sadly, she had last seen her husband in March when they had gotten married.
2) Seargant Desiderio Serdan Jr., a resident of Iriga City in Camarines del Sur Province on Luzon.
3) Corporal Freddie Castellano Jr., a lifelong resident of Sitio Mercedes in the municipality of La Castellana's Barangay Sag-ang. He and his family lived on Hacienda Mercedes, a sugar plantation where Corporal Castellano had laboured before entering the military.
4) Corporal Claro Lapasaran III, a resident of the municipality of Barotac's Barangay Licuan in Nuevo Iolio Province in the Central Philippine's Visayas Region.
5) Corporal Ramsel Laynesa, a resident of the municipality of Nabua in the province of Camarines del Sur on Luzon.
6) Private First Class Juanito Evasco Jr., also a resident of Nabua.
7) Private Nico Tinambunan, a lifelong resident of Lamitan City in Basilan Province.
All seven bodies were immediately brought to Camp Bautista in Jolo City on that same island of Jolo where they were stored as arrangements were made. Early Saturday morning, July 30th, they were transported to Camp Erwin Andrews in Zamboanga City where Private Tinambunan's body was offloaded. As a Muslim his funeral had to take place as soon as possible. Ideally a Muslim must be interred before sunset on the day of his or her death but in this case not much could be done. As his body was flown across the strait to Basilan the C-130 lifted off for the flight to Manila where the six remaining corpses would be given a military funeral. Upon landing each white enameled coffin was loaded onto six separate hearses and driven to the auditorium at Marine Headquarters at Fort Bonifacio.
The next morning, Sunday, July 31st, President Aquino made his appearance aa did all high ranking personalities in the military echelon. The President vowed revenge, and promised that each family of the deceased would receive P250,000 ($5,150), a vertible fortune in Philippine terms at nearly two times the annual salary of an enlisted man. The payouts will be sourced from the Presidential Social Fund, a euphanism for "Slush Fund." Considering that AFP personnel are dying in combat every month it seems a bit strange that President Aquino would offer such largesse when he never even raises an eyebrow when other soldiers or marines are killed. Photo opportunities make all the difference.
Each of the seven men received a promotion of a single rank which is a standard procedure and does help to boost the pension any spouse or primary survivor will receive. Also, President Aquino personally awarded- posthumously- the nation's second highest honour, the Gold Cross, for "Gallantry in Action." Again, plenty of people dying and noone bats an eye. On Tuesday, August 2nd, all bodies were released to their families with the AFP delivering them.
Some readers may have remembered that in my first paragraph I had inferred that these seven men gave up their lives for nothing. That seems extremely harsh, but I am sure that if you know the facts that you very well might agree with me.
That very same Abu Sayyaf camp in Sitio Tubig Magtuh? It has been overun and captured by AFP Marines no less than five times in the last seven years. It is true that in war a barren hill with no apparent utility tactically OR strategically can be taken, and re-taken, with great casualties incurred. However, in insurgency it is a different story. When a strategic position is captured, no matter the cost, it must be held and eventually consolidated with other similarly cleared assets. Realising that Sitio Tubig Magtuh holds extreme strategical value for Kumander Sahiron the AFP should have long ago capitalised on its gains there and at least biouvaced a CAA, or Civilian Active Auxiliary (as in CAFGU or CVO) detachment there to repel any future attempts at re-taking the site.
Sadly, each of the several AFP assaults on that particular camp have taken place at a particular time of year, late March. So, just about every Easter Week the AFP sends in a Marine detachment, usually from MBLT-5, to re-take this same camp. It borders on insanity. At least this time the AFP has learned a lesson or two and has installed a military post at the encampment site. Naming the post "Camp Baladad" in honour of Second Lieutenant Michael Baladad, the fallen platoon leader, it is manned by a platoon from none other than MBLT-5.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Kidanp for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part XV: The Release of Manuel Boniao
In my recent "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part XII" entry I discussed the September 19th, 2011 KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom of Cagayan del Oro City businessman Manuel G.Boniao. For those who don't recall, men dressed in PNP, or Philippine National Police, uniforms entered Peoples Agri Supply in Barangay Gusa and managed to disarm the lone security guard and divest him of his pump shotgun. Grabbing Mr.Boniao as well as his 17 year old son Edwin the faux (or authentic) policemen made their way out of the warehouse-like building. Arguing amongst themselves the kidnappers ended up not taking the boy and exited with only Mr.Boniao before speeding away into Barangay Puerto and an escape by sea.
On Wednesday, September 21st, the Isuzu Adventure used in the kidnapping was discovered unoccupied in the neighbouring province of Bukidnon. Parked on the side of a hiway in Sitio Langga in the municipality of Sumilao's Barangay San Vicente, facing towards Cagayan del Oro City, it had been amateurishly spraypainted black in a foolish attempt to change the vehicle's appearance. Twenty-two empty cans of black Pylox spray paint along with three jars of mostly used laquer thinner were discovered inside the SUV, along with the six police patrol tee shirts used in the kidnapping and four PNP baseball caps. The tee shirts are easily faked but all six of these shirts were PNP-issued to PRO-4A, or Police Regional Office for Region 4A. Region 4A is more popularly known as CALABARZON Region, on Luzon. While those shirts definitely lend creedence to the intelligence coming out of Manila that the various PNP cliques moonlighting as KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom groups have finally branched into the south, it is also just as possible that the uniforms had been captured or stolen.
As for a police connection, such a development, if accurate, is very interesting because of the propencity of turf wars between newcomers, albeit highly organised, and the well established local Mindanowan organisations directly tied into the local power structure. Also found in the re-painted SUV was a roll of tape, Boniao's emptied brown leather wallet and most noteworthy of all, the discovery of Mr.Boniao's sleeveless blue tee shirt with blood stains all over it. The SUV was traced and found to have been originally owned by Abdul Hakim Grande. On September 15th, 2011, four days before Mr.Boniao was dragged into hell, Mr.Grande sold the vehicle to Enrique Goltiao. Mr.Goltiao tells a funny story. According to him, as soon as he bought the red Isuzu Adventure (NOT a Mitsibushi Adventure as many have erroneously reported), he turned right around and flipped it to an auto broker whom he knows only by the eponym, or should I instead say "nom de guerre," Gayong. Ridiculously police claim to be focusing on "Gayong" as opposed to hanging Enrique Goltiao up by his thumbs and laying the rattan on him.
Almost immediately after the September 19th abduction the family contacted an old friend, Felix Borromeo, the ex-Mayor of Balingasag, a municipality within Bukidnon Province, who was tied into the local KFR industry. With Borremeo's assistance the negotiations went smoothly but as in all cases resolved within days the Boniao Family ended up paying much more than would normally be the case. Reportedly Mrs.Boniao pushed Mr.Borremeo to pay whatever they demanded so as to not prolong the ordeal. One certainly cannot criticise the woman even if no compelling evidence like her husband's badly bloodied shirt were discovered. As if that wasn't horrendous enough I am sure that Mrs.Boniao was well aware of the infamous KFR of their former business associate, Bennie Longbien Lee. The Tsinoy (Filipino of Chinese descent) businessman's shop was directly next door to Boniao's Peoples Agri Supply. Way back in 1980 Mr.Lee was kidnapped from his place of business, just as Mr.Boniao was. When the family took too long consolidating their money for a steep ransom demand Mr.Lee was executed. Understandably Mrs.Boniao, who personally witnessed her husband's abduction, was in no shape to endure a long and drawn out negotiating process.
Mr.Borremeo did as Mrs.Boniao requested and managed to net a 33% reduction from the kidnapper's first authentic offer of 5.5 Million Pesos. That same day, Saturday, September 24th, he then delivered a "Room and Lodging Fee" of 1.5 Million Pesos ($33,000) to a representative of the KFR group at a local mall. That evening, Mr.Boniao was dropped off in front of his Cagayan del Oro city home in Barangay Carmen's Golden Village Sub-division having taken a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi), after his abductors dropped him off on a hiway in Lanao del Sur Province.
Aside from having been handcuffed during his five day ordeal and almost always under a blindfold, Mr.Boniao was apparently none the worse for the wear although quite often the psychological wounds run a lot deeper and often never heal at all. In Zamboanga City, inside of Camp Navarro, the huge military base that serves as the home of WESMINCOM, or Western Mindanao Command, sits a non-descript turquiose and white concrete bungalow. Not much to look at, it is proof positive that great things often come in small packages. Officially christened "Healing House" it was created through the hard work and tireless effort of a female American expatriate, psychologist Eleanor Lisa Beyea Pomoroy PhD, who spent the better part of a year and a half working at Dr.Torres Memorial Hospital in Lamitan City on the island of Basilan. Her place of employment was the scene of a pivotal ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, kidnapping that took place way back in 2001.
Then-leader of the Basilan ASG, Khadaffy Janjalani, younger brother of ASG founder Abdurajak Janjalani, had led his band of sorry misfits in an audacious attack against a high priced resort off of Palawan Island's capital of Puerto Princessa. The kidnapping including three Americans (the Burnhams, Martin and Gracia, a missionary couple, and Guillermo Sobrero, a would be lothario) and high tailed it back south to Basilan.
Landing in Basilan with the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, right behind him Janjalani led his men and their captives to what he thought would be his last stand, inside Dr.Torres Memorial Hospital. Of course Janjalani managed to escape out of there with even more captives thanks to the connivance of local politicians and the local military commander. However, the Palawan abduction, known commonly as the "Dos Palmas Kidnapping," after the pricey resort where it transpired, has become the quinessential expat nightmare. It made such an impression on the female American I mentioned that she launched an initiative that culminated in the creation of the afore mentioned "Healing House." The name refers to a lot more than the modest concrete structure situated catacorner to a food stall, but to the scores of therapeutic programmes that seek to alleviate much of the mental baggage carried by kidnapping victims. Unfortunately the programme ended not long after she returned to the United States but it ought to have set a standard of care for these battered and bruised victims, of which Mr.Boniao surely is one.
Speaking of the Dos Palmas Kidnapping, two brothers from Basilan learned this week that one must always pay for their mistakes. As teens brothers Abu Abdul Aziz Kunting and Abu Akmed Kunting joined Abu Sayyaf. The decision wouldn't have been too difficult given the island of Basilan's extreme poverty and the Abu Sayyaf's recent kidnapping on Sipidan Island in Malaysia having netted the group more than 20 Million US Dollars coutesy of Libya. So much money was floating around in those days that the US Dollar lost half its value on Jolo Island. In the days after the Dos Palmas Kidnapping they must have seriously questioned their decision. Living in the deep bush in Basilan is incredibly difficult since practically all the island's population lives along its coast. Then, being chased to Zamboanga where the infamous Abu Sobaya ended up going down in a fussilade of bullets...well, you get the picture.
The Brothers Kunting chuckked it away for a new life as Robert and Jason Tan, respectively. Now living as Christians they gravitated towards Davao Region and it was there that the AFP's MIGs (Military Intelligence Group) 9 and 11, backed by the 28IB (Infantry Battalion) and the 104th Military Intelligence Company found them on September 23rd, 2011. Living in a non-descript thatched hut (nipa) in the municipality of Mati's Barangay Matiao in Davao Oriental Province, the two were taken on warrants out of Regional Trial Court #9 in Zamboanga City for Illegal Detention and Kidnapping in the Dos Palmas Kidnapping. The past ALWAYS catches up with you.
On Wednesday, September 21st, the Isuzu Adventure used in the kidnapping was discovered unoccupied in the neighbouring province of Bukidnon. Parked on the side of a hiway in Sitio Langga in the municipality of Sumilao's Barangay San Vicente, facing towards Cagayan del Oro City, it had been amateurishly spraypainted black in a foolish attempt to change the vehicle's appearance. Twenty-two empty cans of black Pylox spray paint along with three jars of mostly used laquer thinner were discovered inside the SUV, along with the six police patrol tee shirts used in the kidnapping and four PNP baseball caps. The tee shirts are easily faked but all six of these shirts were PNP-issued to PRO-4A, or Police Regional Office for Region 4A. Region 4A is more popularly known as CALABARZON Region, on Luzon. While those shirts definitely lend creedence to the intelligence coming out of Manila that the various PNP cliques moonlighting as KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom groups have finally branched into the south, it is also just as possible that the uniforms had been captured or stolen.
As for a police connection, such a development, if accurate, is very interesting because of the propencity of turf wars between newcomers, albeit highly organised, and the well established local Mindanowan organisations directly tied into the local power structure. Also found in the re-painted SUV was a roll of tape, Boniao's emptied brown leather wallet and most noteworthy of all, the discovery of Mr.Boniao's sleeveless blue tee shirt with blood stains all over it. The SUV was traced and found to have been originally owned by Abdul Hakim Grande. On September 15th, 2011, four days before Mr.Boniao was dragged into hell, Mr.Grande sold the vehicle to Enrique Goltiao. Mr.Goltiao tells a funny story. According to him, as soon as he bought the red Isuzu Adventure (NOT a Mitsibushi Adventure as many have erroneously reported), he turned right around and flipped it to an auto broker whom he knows only by the eponym, or should I instead say "nom de guerre," Gayong. Ridiculously police claim to be focusing on "Gayong" as opposed to hanging Enrique Goltiao up by his thumbs and laying the rattan on him.
Almost immediately after the September 19th abduction the family contacted an old friend, Felix Borromeo, the ex-Mayor of Balingasag, a municipality within Bukidnon Province, who was tied into the local KFR industry. With Borremeo's assistance the negotiations went smoothly but as in all cases resolved within days the Boniao Family ended up paying much more than would normally be the case. Reportedly Mrs.Boniao pushed Mr.Borremeo to pay whatever they demanded so as to not prolong the ordeal. One certainly cannot criticise the woman even if no compelling evidence like her husband's badly bloodied shirt were discovered. As if that wasn't horrendous enough I am sure that Mrs.Boniao was well aware of the infamous KFR of their former business associate, Bennie Longbien Lee. The Tsinoy (Filipino of Chinese descent) businessman's shop was directly next door to Boniao's Peoples Agri Supply. Way back in 1980 Mr.Lee was kidnapped from his place of business, just as Mr.Boniao was. When the family took too long consolidating their money for a steep ransom demand Mr.Lee was executed. Understandably Mrs.Boniao, who personally witnessed her husband's abduction, was in no shape to endure a long and drawn out negotiating process.
Mr.Borremeo did as Mrs.Boniao requested and managed to net a 33% reduction from the kidnapper's first authentic offer of 5.5 Million Pesos. That same day, Saturday, September 24th, he then delivered a "Room and Lodging Fee" of 1.5 Million Pesos ($33,000) to a representative of the KFR group at a local mall. That evening, Mr.Boniao was dropped off in front of his Cagayan del Oro city home in Barangay Carmen's Golden Village Sub-division having taken a habal-habal (motorcycle taxi), after his abductors dropped him off on a hiway in Lanao del Sur Province.
Aside from having been handcuffed during his five day ordeal and almost always under a blindfold, Mr.Boniao was apparently none the worse for the wear although quite often the psychological wounds run a lot deeper and often never heal at all. In Zamboanga City, inside of Camp Navarro, the huge military base that serves as the home of WESMINCOM, or Western Mindanao Command, sits a non-descript turquiose and white concrete bungalow. Not much to look at, it is proof positive that great things often come in small packages. Officially christened "Healing House" it was created through the hard work and tireless effort of a female American expatriate, psychologist Eleanor Lisa Beyea Pomoroy PhD, who spent the better part of a year and a half working at Dr.Torres Memorial Hospital in Lamitan City on the island of Basilan. Her place of employment was the scene of a pivotal ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, kidnapping that took place way back in 2001.
Then-leader of the Basilan ASG, Khadaffy Janjalani, younger brother of ASG founder Abdurajak Janjalani, had led his band of sorry misfits in an audacious attack against a high priced resort off of Palawan Island's capital of Puerto Princessa. The kidnapping including three Americans (the Burnhams, Martin and Gracia, a missionary couple, and Guillermo Sobrero, a would be lothario) and high tailed it back south to Basilan.
Landing in Basilan with the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, right behind him Janjalani led his men and their captives to what he thought would be his last stand, inside Dr.Torres Memorial Hospital. Of course Janjalani managed to escape out of there with even more captives thanks to the connivance of local politicians and the local military commander. However, the Palawan abduction, known commonly as the "Dos Palmas Kidnapping," after the pricey resort where it transpired, has become the quinessential expat nightmare. It made such an impression on the female American I mentioned that she launched an initiative that culminated in the creation of the afore mentioned "Healing House." The name refers to a lot more than the modest concrete structure situated catacorner to a food stall, but to the scores of therapeutic programmes that seek to alleviate much of the mental baggage carried by kidnapping victims. Unfortunately the programme ended not long after she returned to the United States but it ought to have set a standard of care for these battered and bruised victims, of which Mr.Boniao surely is one.
Speaking of the Dos Palmas Kidnapping, two brothers from Basilan learned this week that one must always pay for their mistakes. As teens brothers Abu Abdul Aziz Kunting and Abu Akmed Kunting joined Abu Sayyaf. The decision wouldn't have been too difficult given the island of Basilan's extreme poverty and the Abu Sayyaf's recent kidnapping on Sipidan Island in Malaysia having netted the group more than 20 Million US Dollars coutesy of Libya. So much money was floating around in those days that the US Dollar lost half its value on Jolo Island. In the days after the Dos Palmas Kidnapping they must have seriously questioned their decision. Living in the deep bush in Basilan is incredibly difficult since practically all the island's population lives along its coast. Then, being chased to Zamboanga where the infamous Abu Sobaya ended up going down in a fussilade of bullets...well, you get the picture.
The Brothers Kunting chuckked it away for a new life as Robert and Jason Tan, respectively. Now living as Christians they gravitated towards Davao Region and it was there that the AFP's MIGs (Military Intelligence Group) 9 and 11, backed by the 28IB (Infantry Battalion) and the 104th Military Intelligence Company found them on September 23rd, 2011. Living in a non-descript thatched hut (nipa) in the municipality of Mati's Barangay Matiao in Davao Oriental Province, the two were taken on warrants out of Regional Trial Court #9 in Zamboanga City for Illegal Detention and Kidnapping in the Dos Palmas Kidnapping. The past ALWAYS catches up with you.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part XIII: The Release of Luisita Galvez
In my recent "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter, Part X" entry I discussed the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, of Luisita "Itang" Galvez. Readers may recall that Ms.Galvez, a 34 year old single mother of two teenaged daughters had gone south to work as an OFW, or Overseas Foreign Worker as Filipinos working abroad are known, landing work in Malaysia's Sabah State on Borneo. Leaving the Philippines in 1996 at age 18 she sent most of her earnings home and managed to bring each of her eight siblings to Sabah and although her two daughters Sasha and Sheryn remained on Mindanao, Luisita considered Sabah her adipted home.
Then, in 2006, while working on Sandakan Island, north of the Bornean mainland, she met Raymond George Morrison, a Scotsman, now 51 years old, who had been working as a contract Operations Manager on one of the many offshore oil rigs dotting the Sulu Sea in the waters around Sabah. She had become a resort housekeeper and Mr.Morrison became a frequent guest where the two met. Having moved from Aberdeen in his native Scotland after his marriage went sour, until meeting Luisita he hadn't really considered giving romance another glance. Ms.Galvez changed all that.
Eventually, in 2010, after Ms.Galvez's immigration status in Malaysia lapsed the couple decided that it would be best if Luisita returned to Mindanao and Raymond would join her as soon as his current contract ended. Flying into Zamboanga City Airport she moved back to her hometown of Ipil, the capital of Zamboanga Sibugay Province. There, in between Mr.Morrison's visits to Mindanao the couple purchased a residential lot in the Nesicorom subdivision located in Ipil's Barangay Magadup. On the property, lot #9, they proceeded to start construction of a palatial two story home in an area where even three roomed cinderblock homes are considered "rich." It turns out that that dream house of Luisita's that soon attracted quite a lot of attention, some of it quite negative. In addition Mr.Morrison bought a second lot in an outlying area where he started a commercial sawmill catering to the local logging industry.
Eventually Ms.Galvez herself opened a business in Ipil's Barangay Poblacion. Located on Lapu Lapu Street, the RL, as in Ramond and Luisita, Salon and Spa also managed to create quite a stir in the lowkey provincial town. Gossip got to the point where Ipil's Mayor Eldwin Alibudtan personally warned Luisita that she ought to consider toning down her lifestyle quite abit and begin thinking in terms of her own personal safety a lot more. Though the municipality hasn't been targeted for some time now it is infamous as the site of a well planned joint ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group and BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (as the MILF's armed wing is known) attack involving at least 500 very well armed guerillas. For four hours in the mid-1990s the Abu Sayyaf, along with the 113 and 114 Base Commands of the BIAF, controlled the provincial capital. The ASG and the BIAF's 113 and 114 Base Commands are all prime movers and shakers in the region's highly lucrative KFR industry.
As if prophecy, Mayor Budtan's warning hung heavy on the minds of many when, on Sunday, September 4th, 2011 three guerillas from the BIAF 113 Base Command dragged Luisita Galvez out of her salon slash spa in the middle of Ipil's downtown shopping district at just past 6 in the evening. Pushing their shaken captive brusquely into an idling minivan the captors sped off and into incognito. Ms.Galvez was then taken by boat to the town of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province, the municipality in which the 113 Base Command has its main camp.
Not long afterward, with a heavy military response to the abduction, the BIAF got spooked and transported her to Basilan Province, an island to the south of the Zamboanga Peninsula. There Ms.Galvez was sold to the ASG sub-faction led by sub-Kumander Radzmer Temmeng Jannatul. Jannatul delegated Ms.Galvez's custody to an underling, sub-Kumander Abdullah Julhaiber "Abu Kik" Alamsirulakaz. Abu Kik transported Ms.Galvez to an ASG encampment in the municipality of Sumisip's Barangay Baiwas.
On Monday, September 19th, 2011, three platoons (roughly 90 men) from the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines' Scout Rangers Battalion deployed to Sumisip in response to reported movements of ASG through the town. Ending up in Barangay Baiwas at 9AM the detachment crossed into its Sito Bohe Peyat, the soldiers stumbled into the middle of the aforementioned Abu Sayyaf encampment. A fierce firefight immediately broke out and before it ended at just past 10AM three ASG guerillas known only by their noms de guerre:
1) Abu Sa'id
2) Abdul Aziz
3) Mukim
had been killed. In addition, the AFP is claiming that 7 ASG guerillas were wounded despite none being captured. The AFP also noted that one Scout Ranger:
1) Private First Class Arjae de Ramos
had been wounded as well. After the ASG withdrew upcountry from the camp the soldiers discovered that the firefight had also inadvertantly caused kidnap victim Luisita Galvez to be shot in both of her legs although the wounds were not life threatening. Ironically this very same ASG camp has been "captured" no less than four times since March of 2010. One would imagine that one of these days the AFP would manage to block the Abu Sayyaf from re-capturing their camp but of course this is the Mindanao we are discussing.
Ms.Galvez was evacuated and taken to Scout Ranger Battalion Headquarters in Basilan and given a medical examination before being transported to Zamboanga City's Camp Navarro where a happy Mr.Morrison gave her a teary eyed welcome at WESMINCOM (Western Mindanao Command) Headquarters. In the end Ms.Galvez spent just over two weeks in the custody of her abductors and unlike most KFR victims re-gained her freedom without having had a single centavo change hands.
Then, in 2006, while working on Sandakan Island, north of the Bornean mainland, she met Raymond George Morrison, a Scotsman, now 51 years old, who had been working as a contract Operations Manager on one of the many offshore oil rigs dotting the Sulu Sea in the waters around Sabah. She had become a resort housekeeper and Mr.Morrison became a frequent guest where the two met. Having moved from Aberdeen in his native Scotland after his marriage went sour, until meeting Luisita he hadn't really considered giving romance another glance. Ms.Galvez changed all that.
Eventually, in 2010, after Ms.Galvez's immigration status in Malaysia lapsed the couple decided that it would be best if Luisita returned to Mindanao and Raymond would join her as soon as his current contract ended. Flying into Zamboanga City Airport she moved back to her hometown of Ipil, the capital of Zamboanga Sibugay Province. There, in between Mr.Morrison's visits to Mindanao the couple purchased a residential lot in the Nesicorom subdivision located in Ipil's Barangay Magadup. On the property, lot #9, they proceeded to start construction of a palatial two story home in an area where even three roomed cinderblock homes are considered "rich." It turns out that that dream house of Luisita's that soon attracted quite a lot of attention, some of it quite negative. In addition Mr.Morrison bought a second lot in an outlying area where he started a commercial sawmill catering to the local logging industry.
Eventually Ms.Galvez herself opened a business in Ipil's Barangay Poblacion. Located on Lapu Lapu Street, the RL, as in Ramond and Luisita, Salon and Spa also managed to create quite a stir in the lowkey provincial town. Gossip got to the point where Ipil's Mayor Eldwin Alibudtan personally warned Luisita that she ought to consider toning down her lifestyle quite abit and begin thinking in terms of her own personal safety a lot more. Though the municipality hasn't been targeted for some time now it is infamous as the site of a well planned joint ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group and BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (as the MILF's armed wing is known) attack involving at least 500 very well armed guerillas. For four hours in the mid-1990s the Abu Sayyaf, along with the 113 and 114 Base Commands of the BIAF, controlled the provincial capital. The ASG and the BIAF's 113 and 114 Base Commands are all prime movers and shakers in the region's highly lucrative KFR industry.
As if prophecy, Mayor Budtan's warning hung heavy on the minds of many when, on Sunday, September 4th, 2011 three guerillas from the BIAF 113 Base Command dragged Luisita Galvez out of her salon slash spa in the middle of Ipil's downtown shopping district at just past 6 in the evening. Pushing their shaken captive brusquely into an idling minivan the captors sped off and into incognito. Ms.Galvez was then taken by boat to the town of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province, the municipality in which the 113 Base Command has its main camp.
Not long afterward, with a heavy military response to the abduction, the BIAF got spooked and transported her to Basilan Province, an island to the south of the Zamboanga Peninsula. There Ms.Galvez was sold to the ASG sub-faction led by sub-Kumander Radzmer Temmeng Jannatul. Jannatul delegated Ms.Galvez's custody to an underling, sub-Kumander Abdullah Julhaiber "Abu Kik" Alamsirulakaz. Abu Kik transported Ms.Galvez to an ASG encampment in the municipality of Sumisip's Barangay Baiwas.
On Monday, September 19th, 2011, three platoons (roughly 90 men) from the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines' Scout Rangers Battalion deployed to Sumisip in response to reported movements of ASG through the town. Ending up in Barangay Baiwas at 9AM the detachment crossed into its Sito Bohe Peyat, the soldiers stumbled into the middle of the aforementioned Abu Sayyaf encampment. A fierce firefight immediately broke out and before it ended at just past 10AM three ASG guerillas known only by their noms de guerre:
1) Abu Sa'id
2) Abdul Aziz
3) Mukim
had been killed. In addition, the AFP is claiming that 7 ASG guerillas were wounded despite none being captured. The AFP also noted that one Scout Ranger:
1) Private First Class Arjae de Ramos
had been wounded as well. After the ASG withdrew upcountry from the camp the soldiers discovered that the firefight had also inadvertantly caused kidnap victim Luisita Galvez to be shot in both of her legs although the wounds were not life threatening. Ironically this very same ASG camp has been "captured" no less than four times since March of 2010. One would imagine that one of these days the AFP would manage to block the Abu Sayyaf from re-capturing their camp but of course this is the Mindanao we are discussing.
Ms.Galvez was evacuated and taken to Scout Ranger Battalion Headquarters in Basilan and given a medical examination before being transported to Zamboanga City's Camp Navarro where a happy Mr.Morrison gave her a teary eyed welcome at WESMINCOM (Western Mindanao Command) Headquarters. In the end Ms.Galvez spent just over two weeks in the custody of her abductors and unlike most KFR victims re-gained her freedom without having had a single centavo change hands.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part XI: The Release of Randelle Patilona Talania
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.
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.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part V: Evangeline Taverisma, Ambon Blas, and Perlita Bagay
Evangeline Taverisma spent her time caring for her husband, a retired soldier in the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines and doing what she did best, helping expectant mothers to be at the Rural Health Station in Barangay Tagbak. The clinic, in the municipality of Indanan on the island of Jolo catered to Barabgay Tagbbak's Muslim Community. Despite having served that community for nearly 35 years Mrs. Taverisma was targetted by ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group.
On Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Mrs. Taverisma finished her duties early and left the clinic just before 3PM, hurrying home to cook supper for her husband whose identity I will withold given his status as a retired soldier living in a somewhat dangerous area. As the 55 year old woman began walking to the barangay's main road in order to catch a jeepney ride home a red Toyota Tamaraw cut in front of her and slammed on its brakes.
Four ASG guerillas jumped out waving 45 caliber pistols and forced the shocked woman into the truck before getting back in themselves and speeding off towards the municipality of Patikul. Authorities, with typical ridiculousness have linked the attack to the Jose Batronel Kidnapping which had ended just fifteen days prior (covered in my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV"). In that case, on July 13th, 2011 a Batangas-based trader, his live in lover and their maid had been kidnapped from a rooming house in Jolo City's Barangay Bus Bus. The maid, Julie Latorre had managed to escape when one of the attackers mis-fired his 45 caliber pistol. Jumping out of the red Toyota Tamaraw jeepney as it sped towards a main road she ran for her life and was able escaped none the worse for the experience. Knowing noone in the Southern Philippines and having no way in which to contact those people she did know back on Luzon Ms.Latorre made a regrettable but thoroughly understandable decision to report the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office.
Shortly thereafter Mr.Batronel was able to convince the guerillas holding him, under sub-Kumander Naser Timbang, that only he could access the funds needed to ransom him and his live in lover. Released to do just that he then paid the ransom as agreed and his lover re-gained her freedom the very next day, July 18th
Authorities reckon that because a red Toyota Tamaraw was utilised in the latest case and that the kidnapping was undertaken by ASG gunmen carrying 45 caliber pistols must mean that Naser Timbang is behind the kidnapping of Mrs.Taverisma as well. The only problem with that though is that Mr. Batronel's assailants were aboard a jeepney. The Tamaraw that kidnapped Engeline Taverisma was not a jeepney. 45 caliber pistols are the most common pistol in a nation where weapons are VERY common - and as far as the Southern Philippines go- are part of the landscape. ASG involvement on one level or another is a given since they have cornered the KFR industry in Sulu Province, to which Jolo Island belongs as well as a major share in that of Basilan Island.
Employed through the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao's Department of Health and its Rural Health Force Program, Mrs. Taverisma had been nearing retirement but planned to stay on in a volunteer capacity. ARMM's Secretary of Health, Dr.Kadil "Jojo" Sinolilinding Jr. quickly organised a demonstration at the ARMM Capital, in Cotabato City in Mainland Mindanao's North Cotabato Province. On August 6th nearly 300 ARMM healthcare workers demonstrated on Governor Gutierrez Street against the targetting of healthcare workers.
Later that same day ASG made its first ransom demand, an outrageous P15 Million ($350,000) indicating that Abu Sayyaf is expecting the ARMM to pony up most or all of the ransom. Though the Government pays lip service to a "No Ransom" policy it does, from time to time, cough up a share depending upon certain circumstances. Time will tell if this is one such circumstance.
On Sunday, August 21st, 2011 60 year old Ambon Ahamad Blas was driving his motorcycle home after a long day selling used clothes, or "ukay-ukay" adjacent to P-mart Department Store in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Darang. Seated in back of him was his co-worker Perlita Bagay, age 25. She too was tired after a difficult day at their stall in Sitio Patong Patong. As the motocycle passed Latih Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Latih, just inside Sitio Ba'unoh a band of young men blocked their path and forced them to stop.
A recently formed street gang calling itself the "Virgin Boys" had just taken its first bold step into the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom Industry. The Virgin Boys, co-led by two young men known only as Roger and Gapas had undertaken the act in hopes of ingratiating themselves with ASG sub-Kumander Basarun Arok. Arok is an experienced hand, currently under warrant along with underlings Edimar Isnain and Abdulaptip Jalmani for the October of 2009 KFR of Roger Canizares.
Mr.Canizares was the principal of Tanum Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Tanum. When the ransom wasn't forthcoming sub-Kumander Basarun Arok had Mr.Canizares decapitated. Let us hope that Mr.Blas and Ms.Bagay fare a whole lot better.
On Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 Mrs. Taverisma finished her duties early and left the clinic just before 3PM, hurrying home to cook supper for her husband whose identity I will withold given his status as a retired soldier living in a somewhat dangerous area. As the 55 year old woman began walking to the barangay's main road in order to catch a jeepney ride home a red Toyota Tamaraw cut in front of her and slammed on its brakes.
Four ASG guerillas jumped out waving 45 caliber pistols and forced the shocked woman into the truck before getting back in themselves and speeding off towards the municipality of Patikul. Authorities, with typical ridiculousness have linked the attack to the Jose Batronel Kidnapping which had ended just fifteen days prior (covered in my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV"). In that case, on July 13th, 2011 a Batangas-based trader, his live in lover and their maid had been kidnapped from a rooming house in Jolo City's Barangay Bus Bus. The maid, Julie Latorre had managed to escape when one of the attackers mis-fired his 45 caliber pistol. Jumping out of the red Toyota Tamaraw jeepney as it sped towards a main road she ran for her life and was able escaped none the worse for the experience. Knowing noone in the Southern Philippines and having no way in which to contact those people she did know back on Luzon Ms.Latorre made a regrettable but thoroughly understandable decision to report the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office.
Shortly thereafter Mr.Batronel was able to convince the guerillas holding him, under sub-Kumander Naser Timbang, that only he could access the funds needed to ransom him and his live in lover. Released to do just that he then paid the ransom as agreed and his lover re-gained her freedom the very next day, July 18th
Authorities reckon that because a red Toyota Tamaraw was utilised in the latest case and that the kidnapping was undertaken by ASG gunmen carrying 45 caliber pistols must mean that Naser Timbang is behind the kidnapping of Mrs.Taverisma as well. The only problem with that though is that Mr. Batronel's assailants were aboard a jeepney. The Tamaraw that kidnapped Engeline Taverisma was not a jeepney. 45 caliber pistols are the most common pistol in a nation where weapons are VERY common - and as far as the Southern Philippines go- are part of the landscape. ASG involvement on one level or another is a given since they have cornered the KFR industry in Sulu Province, to which Jolo Island belongs as well as a major share in that of Basilan Island.
Employed through the ARMM, or Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao's Department of Health and its Rural Health Force Program, Mrs. Taverisma had been nearing retirement but planned to stay on in a volunteer capacity. ARMM's Secretary of Health, Dr.Kadil "Jojo" Sinolilinding Jr. quickly organised a demonstration at the ARMM Capital, in Cotabato City in Mainland Mindanao's North Cotabato Province. On August 6th nearly 300 ARMM healthcare workers demonstrated on Governor Gutierrez Street against the targetting of healthcare workers.
Later that same day ASG made its first ransom demand, an outrageous P15 Million ($350,000) indicating that Abu Sayyaf is expecting the ARMM to pony up most or all of the ransom. Though the Government pays lip service to a "No Ransom" policy it does, from time to time, cough up a share depending upon certain circumstances. Time will tell if this is one such circumstance.
On Sunday, August 21st, 2011 60 year old Ambon Ahamad Blas was driving his motorcycle home after a long day selling used clothes, or "ukay-ukay" adjacent to P-mart Department Store in the municipality of Patikul's Barangay Darang. Seated in back of him was his co-worker Perlita Bagay, age 25. She too was tired after a difficult day at their stall in Sitio Patong Patong. As the motocycle passed Latih Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Latih, just inside Sitio Ba'unoh a band of young men blocked their path and forced them to stop.
A recently formed street gang calling itself the "Virgin Boys" had just taken its first bold step into the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom Industry. The Virgin Boys, co-led by two young men known only as Roger and Gapas had undertaken the act in hopes of ingratiating themselves with ASG sub-Kumander Basarun Arok. Arok is an experienced hand, currently under warrant along with underlings Edimar Isnain and Abdulaptip Jalmani for the October of 2009 KFR of Roger Canizares.
Mr.Canizares was the principal of Tanum Elementary School in Patikul's Barangay Tanum. When the ransom wasn't forthcoming sub-Kumander Basarun Arok had Mr.Canizares decapitated. Let us hope that Mr.Blas and Ms.Bagay fare a whole lot better.
Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV: The Release of Nelson Lim
Late in the afternoon on April 29th, 2011 Nelson Lim told his son to man the fort as he and his wife decided to leave a bit early on their long walk home. The "fort," Times Hardware, in Jolo City's bustling downtown area is one of several hardware businesses in the city owned by Tsinoy, as Filipinos of Chinese descent are commonly known. After the Battle of 1974 during the MNLF Insurgency most Tsinoy had abandoned Jolo City turning a vibrant storied city into a shell of its former self. The city's economy never recovered and with each passing year more and more Tsinoy moved away, unwilling to shoulder the risk posed by the next generation of insurgents, ASG, or the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements. Kidnapping had become an epidemic over the last decade and no single group was targetted more than the Tsinoy.
As Mr.Lim and his wife left their store they were both looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. The next morning, Saturday, was the couples' turn at the family owned resturant Plaza Panciteria on Jolo City's Serantes Street. One of the island's oldest and most popular eateries it had been founded by Mr. Lim's late father in law. Upon his death shares in it were distributed amongst the extended family. Each share holder took a turn at managing its day to day operation. Still, th
at was tomorrow and for now the couple busied themselves with the long walk home to Barangay Bus Bus.
Concerned family members had tried to convince the elderly couple to ride to and from their downtown store but Mr.Lim would hear nothing of it. At the very least he argued, the walk provided him with a way in which to maintain the trim physique he took pride in. As for safety concerns, he maintained that noone would bother with such an old man. After all he reasoned, he had managed to survive nearly 70 years in Jolo without making a single enemy, no mean feat given local mores.
As the two walked through Barangay Bus Bus they failed to notice a navy blue Mitsubishi L300 van that had begun tailing them at a distance. Nearing their home in the barangay's Sitio Lambayong the van increased its speed to close the distance and just as the couple neared the front gate of their residential compound the van skidded to a stop beside them. Four ASG guerillas:
1) Asman Sawadjaan
2) Mudzrimar Sawadjaan
3) Jihad Naymel
4) sub-Kumander Ninok Sappari
jumped out of the van waving 45 caliber pistols and physically picked Mr.Lim up off the ground before depositing him in the rear of the van. Ignoring Lim's hysterical wife the van then took off at a high rate of speed. As the kidnapping had taken place at 530PM on one of the barangay's most travelled streets more than one bystander had reported it to authorities. The AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines scrambled MBLT-5, or Marine Battalion Landing Team #5 to the municipality of Patikul, the predicted destination of the kidnappers.
Jolo City's CPO, or City Police Office followed standard protocol and notified the Sulu PPO, or Police Provincial Office which in turn deployed an investigatory team to interview Mrs.Lim. In the interim though Mrs. Lim had callen her eldest son who as he rushed to the family home made sure that his mother would in no way co-operate with the authorities. As bad as a kidnapping can be, notifying the authorities only makes it so many times worse. If by some chance the police or military do find out about the kidnapping, totally ignoring them is the only sensible path.
MBLT-5 began scouring the town of Patikul with the assumption being that the victim had been abducted by one of two ASG factions, both operating within the borders of that municipality. Indeed the L300 van was found in that town's Barangay Sandah, having been abandoned. Quickly running a check on the vehicle it was found to be registered to a certain Laja Bagatsing. As in all other similar cases the van had been reported stolen shortly before the kidnapping although the owner is related to an ASG guerilla. After finding themselves unable to track the occupants of the van in the dark the Marines returned to their base at Camp Bautista. Meanwhile, Mr.Lim's kidnappers were joined by three other ASG guerillas who began marching their blindfolded victim uphill.
Eventually entering Barangay Tanum the group stopped for the night at the home of a fellow ASG guerilla. Early the next morning, before the sun appeared in the sky, the Abu Sayyaf guerillas led the still blindfolded Lim up country into that barangay's outermost sitio, Makayah, the last settlement before Mount Dahu. Resting a bit, they then continued upland and onto the slopes of the Abu Sayyaf controlled Mount Dahu. It was at various points on the mountain that Nelson Lim would spend the next three months, waiting and hoping to see his family again.
With the authorities out of the way the Lim family then went about negotiating a reasonable ransom. The man behind the kidnapping, sub-Kumander Jurim Hussin initially demanded P5 Million ($105,000) but by the end of June that figure had dropped to P3 Million ($62,000). Not satisfied with that amount the Lim family further whittled down the figure to P1.5 Million ($30,500) by mid-July. When, by July 19th they had failed to gain ground on a further reduction the family agreed to pay that amount and so final arrangements were made.
On Wednesday, July 20th the Lim family representative handed the cash to a middleman who relayed the sum, less his 10% commission, to sub-Kumander Hussin's representative. At 1PM the next afternoon, July 21st Nelson Lim was blindfolded and taken downhill off of the mountain, to a home in Patikul's Barangay Tanum where he was ordered to wash up and ready himself for release. By 9PM Mr.Lim was standing in Barangay Sandah waiting for Vice Mayor of Jolo City, Edsir "Eddie" Que Tan who finally arrived at 945PM to take custody of him and deliver Mr.Lim to his family.
As Mr.Lim and his wife left their store they were both looking forward to a relaxing evening at home. The next morning, Saturday, was the couples' turn at the family owned resturant Plaza Panciteria on Jolo City's Serantes Street. One of the island's oldest and most popular eateries it had been founded by Mr. Lim's late father in law. Upon his death shares in it were distributed amongst the extended family. Each share holder took a turn at managing its day to day operation. Still, th
at was tomorrow and for now the couple busied themselves with the long walk home to Barangay Bus Bus.
Concerned family members had tried to convince the elderly couple to ride to and from their downtown store but Mr.Lim would hear nothing of it. At the very least he argued, the walk provided him with a way in which to maintain the trim physique he took pride in. As for safety concerns, he maintained that noone would bother with such an old man. After all he reasoned, he had managed to survive nearly 70 years in Jolo without making a single enemy, no mean feat given local mores.
As the two walked through Barangay Bus Bus they failed to notice a navy blue Mitsubishi L300 van that had begun tailing them at a distance. Nearing their home in the barangay's Sitio Lambayong the van increased its speed to close the distance and just as the couple neared the front gate of their residential compound the van skidded to a stop beside them. Four ASG guerillas:
1) Asman Sawadjaan
2) Mudzrimar Sawadjaan
3) Jihad Naymel
4) sub-Kumander Ninok Sappari
jumped out of the van waving 45 caliber pistols and physically picked Mr.Lim up off the ground before depositing him in the rear of the van. Ignoring Lim's hysterical wife the van then took off at a high rate of speed. As the kidnapping had taken place at 530PM on one of the barangay's most travelled streets more than one bystander had reported it to authorities. The AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines scrambled MBLT-5, or Marine Battalion Landing Team #5 to the municipality of Patikul, the predicted destination of the kidnappers.
Jolo City's CPO, or City Police Office followed standard protocol and notified the Sulu PPO, or Police Provincial Office which in turn deployed an investigatory team to interview Mrs.Lim. In the interim though Mrs. Lim had callen her eldest son who as he rushed to the family home made sure that his mother would in no way co-operate with the authorities. As bad as a kidnapping can be, notifying the authorities only makes it so many times worse. If by some chance the police or military do find out about the kidnapping, totally ignoring them is the only sensible path.
MBLT-5 began scouring the town of Patikul with the assumption being that the victim had been abducted by one of two ASG factions, both operating within the borders of that municipality. Indeed the L300 van was found in that town's Barangay Sandah, having been abandoned. Quickly running a check on the vehicle it was found to be registered to a certain Laja Bagatsing. As in all other similar cases the van had been reported stolen shortly before the kidnapping although the owner is related to an ASG guerilla. After finding themselves unable to track the occupants of the van in the dark the Marines returned to their base at Camp Bautista. Meanwhile, Mr.Lim's kidnappers were joined by three other ASG guerillas who began marching their blindfolded victim uphill.
Eventually entering Barangay Tanum the group stopped for the night at the home of a fellow ASG guerilla. Early the next morning, before the sun appeared in the sky, the Abu Sayyaf guerillas led the still blindfolded Lim up country into that barangay's outermost sitio, Makayah, the last settlement before Mount Dahu. Resting a bit, they then continued upland and onto the slopes of the Abu Sayyaf controlled Mount Dahu. It was at various points on the mountain that Nelson Lim would spend the next three months, waiting and hoping to see his family again.
With the authorities out of the way the Lim family then went about negotiating a reasonable ransom. The man behind the kidnapping, sub-Kumander Jurim Hussin initially demanded P5 Million ($105,000) but by the end of June that figure had dropped to P3 Million ($62,000). Not satisfied with that amount the Lim family further whittled down the figure to P1.5 Million ($30,500) by mid-July. When, by July 19th they had failed to gain ground on a further reduction the family agreed to pay that amount and so final arrangements were made.
On Wednesday, July 20th the Lim family representative handed the cash to a middleman who relayed the sum, less his 10% commission, to sub-Kumander Hussin's representative. At 1PM the next afternoon, July 21st Nelson Lim was blindfolded and taken downhill off of the mountain, to a home in Patikul's Barangay Tanum where he was ordered to wash up and ready himself for release. By 9PM Mr.Lim was standing in Barangay Sandah waiting for Vice Mayor of Jolo City, Edsir "Eddie" Que Tan who finally arrived at 945PM to take custody of him and deliver Mr.Lim to his family.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom, Third Quarter of 2011, Part IV: Jose "Joe" Batronel, Rosely Mondejar Villadore, and Julie Latorre
Jose "Joe" Batronel and his live in love Rosely Mondejar Villadore combine business with pleasure. The 57 year old Batronel, of San Jose in Batangas Province on Southern Luzon almost always has his 37 year old lover by his side as he embarks on extended sales trips throughout the Southern Philippines. Rosely helps with more than just emotional support, often serving as a translator for her Tagalog-speaking common law husband. A native of Magallanes, a municipality in Mindanao's Agusan del Norte Province, she is conversant in both Cebuano and Butuanon. The former is the lingua franca of most non-Muslims in Mindanao while the latter is spoken only in a small area of the Agusan del Norte coast. Closely related to Cebuano it is a near match for Tausug, the lingua franca of Muslims on Jolo Island (Tausugs are actually Islamicised Butuanons who migrated south 500 to 600 years ago).
Indeed, it was Jolo Island where the couple found themselves on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011. On this trip they had taken their newly hired maid, 21 year old Julie Latorre, also of Batangas Province, needing extra help to carry the household goods they sold as travelling peddlers. All three were readying themselves for sleep in the rooming house they had lodged in, in Jolo City's Sitio Militar in Barangay Busbus, close to where the city wall used to stand. Located next to the city's NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation) facility the rooms were not quiet but that only helped to keep the prices reasonable, an attraction as far as Mr.Batronel was concerned. Unfortunately for Mr.Batronel, it also meant that the surrounding area was rather desolate and free of large crowds.
At just after 830PM five young men burst into the rooming house and made their way directly to Batronel's room. Waving pistols and assault rifles they loudly kicked in the room's door and literally dragged their three screaming captives out into the street before roughly tossing them into the rear of an idling red Toyota Tamaraw jitney (modern jeepney). A sixth guerilla, standing guard as a lookout ran and jumped onto the back of the jitney as it peeled out and took off at a high rate of speed. Caught up in the moment the sixth guerilla, hanging off of the back of the vehicle, fired his 45 caliber pistol into the night air as if to challenge any would be do gooders.
Just after the gunshot was fired, and just before the jitney managed to make its way onto Gandasuli Road, a quick thinking Ms.Latorre managed to jump off of the rapidly moving vehicle and run quickly down a side street. Either not noticing the escape or else unwilling to risk everything when they already held two captives, the jitney entered Gandasuli Road and took the couple with it into incognito.
Ms.Latorre immediately reported the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office. Not the wisest thing to do of course but being young and in a highly stressful situation far from home it is entirely understandable.
On Saturday, July 17th, 2011, Mr.Batronel was released in Barangay San Reymundo, in the municipality of Patikul after convincing his captors that unless he was set free there would be no way to extract a ransom. He was given the chance to try and obtain the ridiculous sum of P20 Million ($450,000) which of course is merely the opening gambit in negotiations. Upon his release he was picked up by an Armed Forces of the Philippines Marine patrol. Due to severe dehydration Mr.Batronel was hospitalised in the Sulu Integrated Provincial Hospital, as his poor wife remained alone with her Abu Sayyaf captors. While still in the hospital receiving treatment, Mr.Batronel contacted family members in Batangas trying to accumulate a decent enough cachet with which to negotiate his wife's release. Just after midnite Jose Batronel checked himself out of the hospital and contacted Abu Sayyaf to try and come to an agreement on a lower ransom amount. By daybreak, an agreement having been reached for P100,000 ($1,900), a decent enough profit for 2 days work, Batronel had the ransom amount deposited into a bank account provided to him by his captors. By Sunday morning, July 18th Ms. Batronel was released in the municipality of Patikul, taking a jeepney (public transportation) into Jolo City where she was reunited with her husband.
Together, going to the Sulu Police Provincial Office, or PPO-Sulu, as Mr.Batronel had reluctantly agreed to do when rejecting PNP, or Philippine National Police "assistance" at the hospital, they underwent a meaningless "de-briefing." Suffering through the usual dog and pony propaganda...I mean publicity...I mean propaganda cum publicity nonsense the couple were taken to Zamboanga City via a naval frigate and from there took a commercial flight to Manila and their home in San Jose, Batangas.
Indeed, it was Jolo Island where the couple found themselves on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011. On this trip they had taken their newly hired maid, 21 year old Julie Latorre, also of Batangas Province, needing extra help to carry the household goods they sold as travelling peddlers. All three were readying themselves for sleep in the rooming house they had lodged in, in Jolo City's Sitio Militar in Barangay Busbus, close to where the city wall used to stand. Located next to the city's NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation) facility the rooms were not quiet but that only helped to keep the prices reasonable, an attraction as far as Mr.Batronel was concerned. Unfortunately for Mr.Batronel, it also meant that the surrounding area was rather desolate and free of large crowds.
At just after 830PM five young men burst into the rooming house and made their way directly to Batronel's room. Waving pistols and assault rifles they loudly kicked in the room's door and literally dragged their three screaming captives out into the street before roughly tossing them into the rear of an idling red Toyota Tamaraw jitney (modern jeepney). A sixth guerilla, standing guard as a lookout ran and jumped onto the back of the jitney as it peeled out and took off at a high rate of speed. Caught up in the moment the sixth guerilla, hanging off of the back of the vehicle, fired his 45 caliber pistol into the night air as if to challenge any would be do gooders.
Just after the gunshot was fired, and just before the jitney managed to make its way onto Gandasuli Road, a quick thinking Ms.Latorre managed to jump off of the rapidly moving vehicle and run quickly down a side street. Either not noticing the escape or else unwilling to risk everything when they already held two captives, the jitney entered Gandasuli Road and took the couple with it into incognito.
Ms.Latorre immediately reported the incident to the Jolo City CPO, or City Police Office. Not the wisest thing to do of course but being young and in a highly stressful situation far from home it is entirely understandable.
On Saturday, July 17th, 2011, Mr.Batronel was released in Barangay San Reymundo, in the municipality of Patikul after convincing his captors that unless he was set free there would be no way to extract a ransom. He was given the chance to try and obtain the ridiculous sum of P20 Million ($450,000) which of course is merely the opening gambit in negotiations. Upon his release he was picked up by an Armed Forces of the Philippines Marine patrol. Due to severe dehydration Mr.Batronel was hospitalised in the Sulu Integrated Provincial Hospital, as his poor wife remained alone with her Abu Sayyaf captors. While still in the hospital receiving treatment, Mr.Batronel contacted family members in Batangas trying to accumulate a decent enough cachet with which to negotiate his wife's release. Just after midnite Jose Batronel checked himself out of the hospital and contacted Abu Sayyaf to try and come to an agreement on a lower ransom amount. By daybreak, an agreement having been reached for P100,000 ($1,900), a decent enough profit for 2 days work, Batronel had the ransom amount deposited into a bank account provided to him by his captors. By Sunday morning, July 18th Ms. Batronel was released in the municipality of Patikul, taking a jeepney (public transportation) into Jolo City where she was reunited with her husband.
Together, going to the Sulu Police Provincial Office, or PPO-Sulu, as Mr.Batronel had reluctantly agreed to do when rejecting PNP, or Philippine National Police "assistance" at the hospital, they underwent a meaningless "de-briefing." Suffering through the usual dog and pony propaganda...I mean publicity...I mean propaganda cum publicity nonsense the couple were taken to Zamboanga City via a naval frigate and from there took a commercial flight to Manila and their home in San Jose, Batangas.
Kidnap for Ransom, Third Quarter of 2011, Part III: The Release of Jonald Oscimar and Nico Sebastian
In a KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, entry for the First Quarter of 2011 I detailed the case of the sardine boat M/V Mega 8, out of Zamboanga City. Crewed mostly by men from Negros Island in the Visayas Region (Central Philippines), and owned by the Mega Fishing Corporation, they had been moored off of Menes Island which is itself part of the tiny Panglima Tahil Island group off of Jolo Island, the largest island in the Sulu Archipelago. Panglima Tahil is generally considered to be a safe mooring in Sulu because it is controlled by an MNLF faction that fully committed itself to the 1996 Jakarta Agreement between the Government and the MNLF. On the evening of March 19th, 2011 however, that changed.
As the crew was busying itself with evening chores when they were suprised by a boatload of ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, gunmen carrying assault rifles who brusquely demanded the ship's "officers." Three men stepped forward:
1) Renato "Rennie" Panisales, Captain
2) Wennie Ferrer, Engineer
3) Jonald Oscimar, Quartermaster
The three men were herded over the side of their craft and into an idling pumpboat (a local term used to describe small motorised skiffs) which then set a course for Jolo Island. Aside from some quick Proof of Life phone calls to their wives, and some papers found in a jungle clearing after a heavy firefight that killed three ASG guerillas on Jolo Island little had been known about the men and their fate. Initially ASG had aimed to extort the owner of Mega Fishing but he refused to play ball, taking it to the extreme of even refusing to meet with the wife of Jonald Oscimar, Maria Victoria, or Marivic Oscimar, who had been chosen by the other two wives to act as their liason with both Mega Fishing AND the ASG. Undaunted, Marivic was able to finally negotiate what is euphamistically known as a "Room and Lodging Fee." From the initial demand of P4 Million per fisherman ($85,000) the Abu Sayyaf then re-packaged the three men at a higher group rate at P20 Million ($450,000), but all that was before they realised that Mega wouldn't be paying a single centavo. A "Room and Lodging Fee" allows the guerillas to generate a very modest profit while saving face. The alternative would of course involve the decapitation of the three captives.
On Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 Oscimar's relatives arrived in Barangay Kaunayan, in the municipality of Patikul where they handed over P300,000 ($6,500), which although a whole lot less than the previously demanded sums still represents a virtual fortune to people like the Oscimar family. The next evening, just after sunset, in Patikul's Barangay Buhanginan, a small band of guerillas delivered a happy Jonald Oscimar to his very relieved family. Mr.Oscimar is now back home on Negros enjoying his freedom.
However, his two mates, Renato Panisales and Wennie Ferrer remain in captivity as their impovershed families struggle against all odds to raise their own "Room and Lodging Fees."
Another happy reunion took place on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 when 16 year old Nico Sebastian of Basilan Island was released. Young Nico had recently run into a close friend who he hadn't see in a year. His pal, Nadzmir "Marvin" Abubakar, had seemingly fallen off of the face of the earth. As I described in yet another of my Kidnap for Ransom entries, this one having been in the Second Quarter, Abubakar, who also goes by the moniker "Totoh" had recommended that he and Nico catch up on old times and invited him to drop by his home. Nico, whose mother supports the family by slash and burn farming, breezily informed his mother of his plans and left for Abubakar's home. When he failed to return his family reported him missing but it wasn't until they had received a ransom demand for P2.5 Million ($55,000) that the authorities were willing to conceed that a KFR had indeed taken place.
It became clear after a summary investigation that Nico's friend, Abubakar, had disappeared for a year because he had joined the 114 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed component of the MILF. Abubakar's conduit into the BIAF was a young man named Arasad Jion, or as his good friends usually call him, "sub-Kumander Jion." When the 114 Base Command realised that poor Nico was the son of a struggling landless peasant they sold him to the ASG, specifically to sub-Kumander Hadjarun Jamiri who has been making a name for himself in KFR activities as of late. Hardly turning a profit on Nico they accepted a "Room and Lodging Fee" of P175,000 ($3,250), and released the teenager on the border of Tuburan and al Barka municipalities, on Basilan.
As the crew was busying itself with evening chores when they were suprised by a boatload of ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group, gunmen carrying assault rifles who brusquely demanded the ship's "officers." Three men stepped forward:
1) Renato "Rennie" Panisales, Captain
2) Wennie Ferrer, Engineer
3) Jonald Oscimar, Quartermaster
The three men were herded over the side of their craft and into an idling pumpboat (a local term used to describe small motorised skiffs) which then set a course for Jolo Island. Aside from some quick Proof of Life phone calls to their wives, and some papers found in a jungle clearing after a heavy firefight that killed three ASG guerillas on Jolo Island little had been known about the men and their fate. Initially ASG had aimed to extort the owner of Mega Fishing but he refused to play ball, taking it to the extreme of even refusing to meet with the wife of Jonald Oscimar, Maria Victoria, or Marivic Oscimar, who had been chosen by the other two wives to act as their liason with both Mega Fishing AND the ASG. Undaunted, Marivic was able to finally negotiate what is euphamistically known as a "Room and Lodging Fee." From the initial demand of P4 Million per fisherman ($85,000) the Abu Sayyaf then re-packaged the three men at a higher group rate at P20 Million ($450,000), but all that was before they realised that Mega wouldn't be paying a single centavo. A "Room and Lodging Fee" allows the guerillas to generate a very modest profit while saving face. The alternative would of course involve the decapitation of the three captives.
On Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 Oscimar's relatives arrived in Barangay Kaunayan, in the municipality of Patikul where they handed over P300,000 ($6,500), which although a whole lot less than the previously demanded sums still represents a virtual fortune to people like the Oscimar family. The next evening, just after sunset, in Patikul's Barangay Buhanginan, a small band of guerillas delivered a happy Jonald Oscimar to his very relieved family. Mr.Oscimar is now back home on Negros enjoying his freedom.
However, his two mates, Renato Panisales and Wennie Ferrer remain in captivity as their impovershed families struggle against all odds to raise their own "Room and Lodging Fees."
Another happy reunion took place on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 when 16 year old Nico Sebastian of Basilan Island was released. Young Nico had recently run into a close friend who he hadn't see in a year. His pal, Nadzmir "Marvin" Abubakar, had seemingly fallen off of the face of the earth. As I described in yet another of my Kidnap for Ransom entries, this one having been in the Second Quarter, Abubakar, who also goes by the moniker "Totoh" had recommended that he and Nico catch up on old times and invited him to drop by his home. Nico, whose mother supports the family by slash and burn farming, breezily informed his mother of his plans and left for Abubakar's home. When he failed to return his family reported him missing but it wasn't until they had received a ransom demand for P2.5 Million ($55,000) that the authorities were willing to conceed that a KFR had indeed taken place.
It became clear after a summary investigation that Nico's friend, Abubakar, had disappeared for a year because he had joined the 114 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed component of the MILF. Abubakar's conduit into the BIAF was a young man named Arasad Jion, or as his good friends usually call him, "sub-Kumander Jion." When the 114 Base Command realised that poor Nico was the son of a struggling landless peasant they sold him to the ASG, specifically to sub-Kumander Hadjarun Jamiri who has been making a name for himself in KFR activities as of late. Hardly turning a profit on Nico they accepted a "Room and Lodging Fee" of P175,000 ($3,250), and released the teenager on the border of Tuburan and al Barka municipalities, on Basilan.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom,Second Quarter of 2011,Part VIII:Virgilio Fernandez and Indian Citizen,Biju Kolara Veetil
One of the ways in which politicians have conspired with one another is to siphon off money from a series of boondoggles known as"Circumfrential Roads."As the name suggests these are paved,circular roads that are conceived in order to speed development in the nation's poorest areas.Here in Mindanao we have a Jolo Island Circumfrential Road Project in Sulu Province,a Lake Lanao Circumfrential Road Project in Lanao del Sur Province,a Lake Buluan Circumfrential Road Project in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat Provinces,and a Basilan Island CircuMfrential Road Project in that province of the same name.In the Basilan Project one of the many companies engaged in the project is Mace Construction,based on the island of Cebu in the Central Philippines,or Visayas Region.Mace is now handling the paving of a segment stretching from Barangay Buton in the municipality of Mohammad Ajul to Barangay Colonia in Lamitan City.
On June 3rd,2011 Engineer Virgilio Fernandez,a Cebu resident,finished his day's work at 3PM at the Mohammad Ajul portion of the segment and hurriedly jumped into the passenger seat of a mini-dump truck being driven by local employee Basir Dasta.Riding in the bed of the truck were 4 local labourers all hitching a ride to the company compound in the aforementioned Barangay Colonia in Lamitan City.Mr.Fernandez might have been thinking of a quiet evening spent relaxing at the small home he had been renting for much of the last year,since arriving on Basilan Island to undertake the project.
As the small truck crossed the border into Lamitan City's Barangay Bulanting the driver,Mr.Dasta,saw an impromptu checkpoint up ahead hastily composed of two offroad motorcycles placed in the middle of the road in Sitio Libi.Slamming on his brakes Dasta attenpted to slam the transmission into reverse but as he nervously struggled with the stck shift 1 of the 4 men standing by the checkpoint took his M16 and shot out his left front tire.The four gunmen then angrily rushed the truck,swung open the passenger side door and dragged Fernandez out of the truck's cab.Frog marching the terrified man over to the motorcycles and placed him on the back of one,behind its driver.Then Fernandez's co-workers watched in horror as a gunman got on behind Fernandez,sandwiching him tight.
Very quickly both motorcycles sped off into the adjacent town of Mohammad Ajul where they were last seen crossing into Barangay Caddayan's Sitio Panguew.As soon as the motorcycles were out of sight Basir Dasta slowly drove off on 3 good tires and made his way to the Lamitan City CPO,or City Police Office.After following standard protocols the officers on duty helped Dasta and the four labourers peruse intelligence photos in hopes of ascertaining the organisation and faction responsible.Before long two of the four gunmen were identified:
1) Musana Jamiri
2) Muhmin"Boy"Jamiri
both clansman of ASG,or Abu Sayyaf Group,factional leader Nurhussan Jamiri.The discovery came as no suprise because the Jamiri Faction has risen to control most of the KFR (Kidnap for Ransom) taking place on the island.The other ASG factional leader on the island,Puruji Indama,has gravitated from KFR into Extortion as his main source of funding.Jamiri meanwhile is holding Hilario"Larry"Tam de los Santos and Nico Sebastian as well as Mr.Fernandez.It is believed that 9 year old Randelle Talania was in Jamiri's custody but has been traded to the BIAF,or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces,114 Base Command in exchange for weaponry and ammunition.
Of course there have been reports that Fernandez was able to escape as well as reports that the AFP"rescued"him,neither of which is true in the least.He was released and casually walked through al Barka before being reigned in by the aforementioned SCAA.
On June 19th,2011 at 9AM Mr.Fernandez was released by ASG in the municipality of al Barka's Barangay Magkawa after his employer paid a hefty ransom.As he walked passed a rubber plantation in Barangay Guintas and was sighted by an SCAA,or Special Civilian Active Auxiliary,who took him into custody.SCAA are 1 of 4 groups collectively known as CAA,or Civilian Active Auxiliaroes.Together they form the cornerstone of the AFP's (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Counterinsurgency Programme.The SCAA are the element funded by private businessmen,functioning as private militaries though obstensibly under moderate supervision of AFP Cadre Battalions,though the reality is often very different.
The SCAA then transported Mr.Fernandez to the nearest AFP position which in turn transported him to Firebase Valentine in Tipo Tipo for De-briefing.Afterwards he was taken to the Lamitan City CPO (City Police Office) where he was released to a representative of his employer.
On Wednesday,June 22nd,2011 Indian national Biju Kolara Veetil was relaxing in his inlaws' home in Sitio Kaban Kaban in the town of Patikul's Barangay Tempok on Jolo Island in Sulu Province.Getting ready for bed at 9PM he was engaging in small talk with his wife,Elena Ladjamuddin Aharadji.He and his wife,a Tausug Trubeswoman,had arrived in the Philippines from India on May 24th and planned on a quiet vacation with loved ones.Suddenly 4 ASG guerillas kicked in the front door and dragged a shocked Mr.Veetil from the home.As his wife's family watched Mr.Veetil was pushed at the end of an FN assault rifle uphill into Barangay Tugas' Sitio Luluban Manghak and into the night.
As the terrified Indian was being marched uphill the group met a larger group of ASG guerillas and so local villagers were able to ascertain that he was Kidnapped by the Jurim Hussin Faction.Members Ninok Sappari,Mamhi Samlahun,Almudjir Yadah,and Namir"Gapas"Aharadji were verified as on site as well.
On June 3rd,2011 Engineer Virgilio Fernandez,a Cebu resident,finished his day's work at 3PM at the Mohammad Ajul portion of the segment and hurriedly jumped into the passenger seat of a mini-dump truck being driven by local employee Basir Dasta.Riding in the bed of the truck were 4 local labourers all hitching a ride to the company compound in the aforementioned Barangay Colonia in Lamitan City.Mr.Fernandez might have been thinking of a quiet evening spent relaxing at the small home he had been renting for much of the last year,since arriving on Basilan Island to undertake the project.
As the small truck crossed the border into Lamitan City's Barangay Bulanting the driver,Mr.Dasta,saw an impromptu checkpoint up ahead hastily composed of two offroad motorcycles placed in the middle of the road in Sitio Libi.Slamming on his brakes Dasta attenpted to slam the transmission into reverse but as he nervously struggled with the stck shift 1 of the 4 men standing by the checkpoint took his M16 and shot out his left front tire.The four gunmen then angrily rushed the truck,swung open the passenger side door and dragged Fernandez out of the truck's cab.Frog marching the terrified man over to the motorcycles and placed him on the back of one,behind its driver.Then Fernandez's co-workers watched in horror as a gunman got on behind Fernandez,sandwiching him tight.
Very quickly both motorcycles sped off into the adjacent town of Mohammad Ajul where they were last seen crossing into Barangay Caddayan's Sitio Panguew.As soon as the motorcycles were out of sight Basir Dasta slowly drove off on 3 good tires and made his way to the Lamitan City CPO,or City Police Office.After following standard protocols the officers on duty helped Dasta and the four labourers peruse intelligence photos in hopes of ascertaining the organisation and faction responsible.Before long two of the four gunmen were identified:
1) Musana Jamiri
2) Muhmin"Boy"Jamiri
both clansman of ASG,or Abu Sayyaf Group,factional leader Nurhussan Jamiri.The discovery came as no suprise because the Jamiri Faction has risen to control most of the KFR (Kidnap for Ransom) taking place on the island.The other ASG factional leader on the island,Puruji Indama,has gravitated from KFR into Extortion as his main source of funding.Jamiri meanwhile is holding Hilario"Larry"Tam de los Santos and Nico Sebastian as well as Mr.Fernandez.It is believed that 9 year old Randelle Talania was in Jamiri's custody but has been traded to the BIAF,or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces,114 Base Command in exchange for weaponry and ammunition.
Of course there have been reports that Fernandez was able to escape as well as reports that the AFP"rescued"him,neither of which is true in the least.He was released and casually walked through al Barka before being reigned in by the aforementioned SCAA.
On June 19th,2011 at 9AM Mr.Fernandez was released by ASG in the municipality of al Barka's Barangay Magkawa after his employer paid a hefty ransom.As he walked passed a rubber plantation in Barangay Guintas and was sighted by an SCAA,or Special Civilian Active Auxiliary,who took him into custody.SCAA are 1 of 4 groups collectively known as CAA,or Civilian Active Auxiliaroes.Together they form the cornerstone of the AFP's (Armed Forces of the Philippines) Counterinsurgency Programme.The SCAA are the element funded by private businessmen,functioning as private militaries though obstensibly under moderate supervision of AFP Cadre Battalions,though the reality is often very different.
The SCAA then transported Mr.Fernandez to the nearest AFP position which in turn transported him to Firebase Valentine in Tipo Tipo for De-briefing.Afterwards he was taken to the Lamitan City CPO (City Police Office) where he was released to a representative of his employer.
On Wednesday,June 22nd,2011 Indian national Biju Kolara Veetil was relaxing in his inlaws' home in Sitio Kaban Kaban in the town of Patikul's Barangay Tempok on Jolo Island in Sulu Province.Getting ready for bed at 9PM he was engaging in small talk with his wife,Elena Ladjamuddin Aharadji.He and his wife,a Tausug Trubeswoman,had arrived in the Philippines from India on May 24th and planned on a quiet vacation with loved ones.Suddenly 4 ASG guerillas kicked in the front door and dragged a shocked Mr.Veetil from the home.As his wife's family watched Mr.Veetil was pushed at the end of an FN assault rifle uphill into Barangay Tugas' Sitio Luluban Manghak and into the night.
As the terrified Indian was being marched uphill the group met a larger group of ASG guerillas and so local villagers were able to ascertain that he was Kidnapped by the Jurim Hussin Faction.Members Ninok Sappari,Mamhi Samlahun,Almudjir Yadah,and Namir"Gapas"Aharadji were verified as on site as well.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom,First Quarter of 2011,Part V:Renato Panisales,Wennie Ferrer,Jonald Oscimar and Ujain Arabain
This summary is not available. Please
click here to view the post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)