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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kidnap For Ransom,First Quarter 2011,Part II: Ceekim Gomonit and Olivia Angeles Barredo

Another victim from late 2010 has finally found his way home. The tragic story of 10 year old Ceekim Gomonit began on October 30, 2010. That evening Ceekim and his grandmother Nenia "Babet" Candil Gomonit were enjoying a relaxing couple of hours in front of the television in their Pagadian City home in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Early in the evening a group from the MILF's 113th Base Command kicked in their front door and dragged both family members into oblivion. Initially, as I alluded to in a prior entry on this case, authorities were stymied because unlike the 113th Base Command's usual modus operandi this group were all Cebuano (Bisaya) speakers and included a woman. The 113th Base Command are ethnic Maranaw (Maranao) and Iranun Tribesmen. To boot, Bisaya speakers are non-Muslims. This led some, including myself, to believe that the case may have been Rido (Clan Feud) based.

Unfortunately this was disproved by the discovery of the grandmother's corpse buried in a very shallow grave in the jungle just outside of the municipality of Sultan Naga Dimaporo in Lanao del Norte Province. The town, which sits just over the border from Zamboanga is the main base of the 113th Base Command. The group exerts total control over the municipality and more over Mrs. Gomonit was buried according to Islamic Law (Shari'a). Her remains were discovered in November after her son, Ceekim's father, received an SMS (text message) from the kidnappers earlier that week. They had included an MMS (video text message) of Ceekim as Proof of Life during the on going ransom negotiations. Sadly the messages also included co-ordinates for the body.

Immediately after digging up the cadaver, the son who was there on site turned to the media and offered that this wasn't going to change his decision NOT to pay ransom. I won't presume to judge anyone under a clear state of duress but it takes a unique type of individual to take that stance as his own mother's rotting corpse lays beside him. Knowing that his own 10 year old son was STILL being held, probably in a bamboo cage, can only make one wonder what goes through such a man's head. He closed out that media soundbite by telling the reporter that he was merely doing what his mother would have wanted him to do.

Fast forward to Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 8AM. 10 year old Ceekim was blindfolded, transported to Cotabato City and released in an empty lot in Barangay Mother. Having been given money and written instructions he made his way bravely to the city's Jeepney Terminal and took a passenger van directly to Pagadian City, arriving at that city's Jeepney Terminal at 230PM. He then made his way via triksiad (ubiqitous form of public transport here in the Philippines) to his extended family's home in Sunrise Village, a subdivision within the municipality's Barangay Tiguma.

March 03, 2011, just hours after Maricris Quatrocruz was released by the MILF's 113th Base Command, another victim was snatched into incognito. 36 year old Olivia Angeles Barrero, like Maricris, is a resident of Zamboanga City. At 615PM,having just left the pharmacy run by her family in the city's Barangay Labuan, Mrs. Barredo was with her husband next to their SUV when she was approached by 2 men riding tandem on a single Honda motorcycle. Stopping to answer a question she and her husband were quickly boxed in by several gunmen who quickly drove up in 2 SUVs. As Olivia screamed at startled bystanders she was dragged into 1 of the sports utility vehicles which then sped off towards the shoreline. Her husband, who had bravely tried to save her was unscathed by the 3 rounds fired at him by the fleeing kidnappers. At the shoreline, as she was being carried from the SUV to an idling pump boat (small motorised craft) her screaming drew the attention of a Barangay Tanod (an armed guard employed by the barangay). The Tanod, accompanied by a large group of residents rushed to aid her. Although the boat had already shoved off the mob did manage to capture 2 of the kidnappers, both MILF guerillas, who were turned over to Zamboanga City PNP (Philippine National Police) after having been beaten severely.

The pump boat was soon joined by 2 other pump boats and all 3 were seen heading towards the municipality of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte Province. As of posting Mrs. Barrero is still being held although ransom negotiations are on going. The 2 captured guerillas, Abdulsalih Esmsail Mindoon and Zaldy Daing Mindoon were both found with 45 caliber pistols and are being held in Zamboanga City Jail.

Kidnapping for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2010, Part II: The Resurrection of the Pentagon Gang

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.