Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VI: The Release of Bai Faridah Olam Adilao and Mokamed "Moca" Mimbantas

In my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part II," I discussed the KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom of Bai Faridah Olam Alidao, a 34 year old businesswoman from Iligan City in Lanao del Norte Province and her 22 year old driver Mokamed "Moca" Mimbantas. Moca was driving Ms.Adilao's pickup truck as he drove his boss home after leaving the family business headquarters in Marawi City's Pacasum Plaza, on Gumisa Avenue.

As they entered Barangay Nangka in the municipality of Balo-i, in Lanao del Norte Province they came to a PNP, or Philippine National Police checkpoint. As their pickup inched to the front of the cue an "officer" asked Ms.Adilao and Mr.Mimbantas to exit the vehicle for a spot search. Complying with the "officer's" directive they stepped out of the truck only to find themselves quickly ushered into an idling minivan that had been parked on the side of the road. It was then that they realised that they had been kidnapped.

Not long afterwards Ms.Adilao's husband, Sultan Abdurahim "Kim" Badawi Adilao, still at the Marawi City business headquarters, received a short and terse phone call from the kidnappers informing him that his wife and their driver had both been taken captive. The caller then instructed him not to contact the authorities. Of course that last point is moot since the kidnapping had transpired in broad daylight with a long cue of waiting motorists taking in quite an eyefill. The kidnapping had probably been reported before the minivan carrying the two captives had driven from the scene.

Thr Adilaos are extremely sucessful businesspeople whose bread and butter is the six store chain of retail weapon outlets, "Tactical Guns and Ammo Enterprises," and the closely affiliated four store private security firm, "Tactical Security Agency." In addition the couple own a single franchise of the "Generic Rx" pharmacy chain, a commercial printing shoppe, a ferry and aviation ticketing agency and to top it all off the couple are recent awardees of a contract to train area PNP (Philippine National Police) via TESDA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Agency, a Governmental entity.

At just after 3AM on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011, personnel manning a PNP (Philippine National Police) checkpoint in the municipality of Linamon's Barangay Nunukan, in Lanao del Norte Province were more than a bit suprised to see a couple in handcuffs nervously walking towards them. As the couple got closer one officer recognised the female as Bae Faridah Olam Adilao. Covered in bruises and almost catatonic she barely uttered a sound. The man, her driver Mokamed "Moca" Mimbantas was in tears himself but was able to give both their names and explain that indeed, they were the two kidnap victims that had been abducted in Balo-i on October 4th. Although both had suffered greatly they were alive and free.

Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part II: Faridah Olama Adilao and Moca Mimbantas

Although KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, is an industry dominated by Muslims at least so far as Mindanao is concerned, they are equal opportunity victimisers. Though it is true that most KFR victims are Christian this is merely because of two factors:

1) Christians on Mindanao tend to be significantly better off than local Muslims in the financial sense

2) Christians usually aren't members of families or clans who will seek to retaliate and even if they have the wherewithall to do so, aren't as knowledgable about the local scene so as to be able to ascertain who was actually involved

Still, Filipino Muslims are sometimes targetted. Such is the case I am focusing on in my current entry. 34 year old Bae Faridah Olama Adilao was being driven in her pickup truck by her family's driver, 22 year old Mokamed "Moca" Mimbantas on Saturday, October 1st, 2011. The two were en route to the Adilao's home in Iligan City in Lanao del Norte Province, returning after a visit to the Marawi City headquarters of the Adilao's business empire in the neighbouring province of Lanao del Sur. As the truck entered the municipality of Balo-i's Barangay Nangka they fell in behind a row of vehicles waiting to transit what appeared to be a PNP, or Philippine National Police checkpoint.

When Ms.Adilao's pickup truck finally inched forward both she and Mr.Mimbantas were brusquely ordered out of the vehicle so that the "officers" could "search" it. As a uniformed man jumped into the pickup and drove it onto the shoulder of the road others quickly disassembled the checkpoint and ordered Ms.Adilao and Mr.Mimbantas into a minivan which then turned around and drove back into Lanao del Sur Province.

Ms.Adilao's husband, Sultan Abdurahim "Kim" Batawi Adilao then received a phone call at his office in the family's business headquarters in Marawi City's Pacasum Square on Gumisa Avenue. The unidentified caller wasted no time in informing him that his wife and his driver had been kidnapped, along with the usual warnings not to co-operate with the AFP or PNP (Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police). Seeing as how the kidnap took place in full view of the public in the middle of the day the crime had already been reported to the Balo-i MPO, or Municipal Police Office. Following SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, the MPO notifed the Police Provincial Office, or PPO. With that notification the kidnapping became public knowledge with or without Sultan Adio's consent.

Police responding to the scene of the crime found the Adiao's pickup truck on the side of the road exactly where the kidnappers had left it. With nothing else to go on the truck was impounded for evidence and the municipality of Balo-i empaneled the requisite CMC, or Crisis Management Committee. Chaired by the mayor of the municipality in which the kidnapping took place it includes the Directors of the PPO as well as the PRO, or Police Regional Office, along with the IB (Infantry Battalion) and Brigade COs, or Commanding Officers. Usually the local DSWD, or Department of Social Welfare and Development, will be included as well. The idea is to streamline the Government response as well as to provide a solid interface between the media and the authorities.

Bae Adilao is very well known in Marawi City. She and husband own Tactical Guns and Ammo Enterprises, a weapons shoppe with six branches, Tactical Security Agency with four branches, a franchise of the Generic Pharmacy chain, a printing shoppe, a plane and ferry ticketing outlet, a fast food resturant and as if that wasn't enough, was recently awarded a TESDA, or Technical Education and Skills Development Agency, contract in conjunction with the training of local PNP agencies. The couple was also in the process of widening its participation in TESDA.

For now all Sultan Adilao can do is sit back and comfort the couple's two young sons as he waits for Mindanao's latest psycho drama to unfold.