In parts 1 and 2 I touched upon the inherent risks journalists face when covering insurgent organizations. In the Southern Philippines, the story of an intrepid journalist trying to scoop his or her competitors with an interview of ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group figures is an old one. Likewise, so is the story about said reporter thinking that that are above the fray, only to find themselves targetted by subjects that they planned on interviewing.
Although I used the example of Ces Drillon, I could just as easily picked one of literally dozens of names. I could have picked self serving media hack Arlyn de la Cruz, abducted in 2002. When not writing about Abu Sayaff for the Manila based "Inquirer," de la Cruz was engaged in a sexual relationship with the ASG's Khadaffy Janjalani. Such "familiarity" should have immunized Ms. de la Cruz from most-if not all damages...right?
I could have chosen Val Cuenca and Maan Macapagal in July of 2000. Indeed, the two were colleagues of Ms. Drilon at ABS-CBN and yet neither Arlyn de la Cruz OR Cuenca and Macapagal's experiences did anything to make Ms.Drilon step back from the abyss. If Phiippine journalists act like imbeciles, how can anyone really disparage an empty headed foreigner for making that same mistake? Whether it is the ten European journalists who thought they were getting the scoop of a lifetime when offered a chance to interview the abductors in the Sipidan Dive Resort KFR and ended up on the menu themselves..or...Andreas Lorenz of Germany's "Der Spiegel," who in 2000 begged to be kidnapped (literrally) only one month after being held with another group of foreign journalists for twelve hours, foreigners are even more likely to be victimized since their employers almost always carry seven figure KFR Insurance.
Which brings me, finally, to the case de jour, that of Jordanian citizen, Baker Abdullah Atyani. Atyani, Southeast Asia Bureau Chief for Dubai based Al Arabiya network is fairly well known to people such as myself. His claim to fame is one of those journalistic scoops that almost defy imagination. In June of 2001, while serving as Pakistan Bureau Chief, Atyani crossed the border into Afghanistan and travelled to the city of Khandahar. In Khandahar Mr.Atyani interviewed two men whose names were relatively unknown at the time, Osama bin Laden and Dr.Ayman al Zawahiri. Atyano claimed that during the unfilmed interview with the number one and number two (respectively)in al Qadah, both men dropped hints about 9/11.
Since that fateful interview, and the years of mileage Atyani generated out of it, the journalist has remolded himself into am authority on Islamic Terrorism. In fact, he has been to the Southern Philippines on a number of occasions and reportedly has extensive contacts within the ASG.
On June 11th, 2012, Baker Atyani and his local production crew arrived in Jolo City on a commercial flight. As is often the case, he was singled out by AFP Marines at the airport owing to his decidedly foreign appearance. Quickly brought to the Sulu Provincial Capital in the municipality of Patikul where he was subjected to the requisite arrival interview that all foreigners must endure in Sulu Province. As luck would have it, Governor Abdusakur "Sakur" Tan was in the building (basically, outside his armored vehicles it is the safest place for him to be) and so Atyani and his crew were quickly ushered into the Governor's inner sanctum and granted an interview.
Probably gritting his teeth as he wasted time discussing foreign aid and pork barrel nonsense (you know, I never thpught to ask whether politicians in Muslim Mindanao call pork barrel spending by some other moniker...maybe lamb?), Atyani lied when asked about his local itinerary, saying that he intended to cover the next day's Independence Day festivities in Jolo City. Instead, Atyani and his crew planned to interview local ASG members in an envisioned television documentary on Jihad in the Philippines. It is absolutely understandable then, that Atyani begged off when Govetnor Tan attempted to saddle with him with an AFP security detail.
Returning to Jolo City, Atyani and his two men crew checked into Jolo City's Sulu State College Hostel, on Martinez Street-co-incidentally, the very same hostel where Ces Drilon and her two man crew had checked into on their fated 2008 sojourn to Jolo. At 545AM the next day, June 12th, Atyani and his crew were seen entering a white multicab in front of the hostel. Aside from the driver, a woman was sitting in the passenger seat. Having told the desk clerk that they would be returning that same afternoon, Baker Abdullah Atyani, Ramelito Vela, and Rolando Letero drove off and disappeared.
Because of their mentioning a same day return the hostel staff naturally got nervous when, by the following day-June 13th, the three men failed to return OR contact the hostel. However, a peek into the two rooms the group had rented showed that they had neglected to take with them any of their personal belongings above and beyond their camera equipment, the staff decided to take a "wait and see" approach. By June 13th it became clear that something was wrong. Skittish hostel staff finally reported the failure of a foreign guest to return to their room for nearly two days. Elsewhere in the world perhaps, such things do not even deserve notice but in Jolo City, it almost certainly serves as a terrible omen.
The CPO, or City Police Office immediately notified PPO-Sulu, or the Police Provincial Office for Sulu Province and so the dominoes fell in short order, ending up with a messy pile in Manila. Interestingly, Government officials, usually very circumspect in KFRs, or Kidnap for Ransoms involving foreign nationals, went immediately for the jugular, accusing Atyani, in turns, of faking his own abduction-exactly the Government's tact in the Arlyn de la Cruz KFR...denied that Atyani had even been abducted at all since he got into the multicap outside his hostel by his own accord-a ploy the.Government used in the Ces Drilon KFR...threatened to have the BI, or Bureau of Immigration revoke Atyani's visa status and declare Atyani persona non grata-exactly what the Government did with Toshio Ito, alias Ameer Mamaito Katayama, whom the Government has also accused of having joined ASG simply because Ito is able.to move around ASG encampments unfettered at least part of the time*-another ploy used against Atyani.
When the Jordanian Government refused to stand for such nonsense all the Governmental shills who had been furiously pointing their fingers suddenly beckpedaled furiously.
Showing posts with label KFR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KFR. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Kidnap for Ransom for the Second Quarter of 2012, Part III: Jordanian Journalist Baker Abdullah Atyani, Part 1
Journalists who choose to cover shadowy insurgent and/or terrorists assume an incredible amount of risk. Here in Mindanao there are plenty of these groups to choose from. However, only one such group has had the gall to victimize journalists, ASG, the Abu Sayyaf Group.
The case that is most discussed, when talking about ASG and its lack of compunction with journalistts is the case of Ces
Orena Drilon. Ces Drilon, as she is known professionaly, had been warned by her superiors at ABS-CBN not to personally interview ASG factional leader Kumander Radullan "Abu Putol" Sahiron, his nom de guerre a reference to the loss of his right arm in battle during his,years as an officer with the MNLF-Misuari. Elderly even then the factional leader was widely as the most approachable of the ASG factional leaders.
Relying on Professor Octavio Dinampo, of Mindanao State University at Marawi as her contact, Drilon, an assistant cameraman, Angelo Valderrama, and a cameraman, Jimmy Encarnacion left Manila and met Professor Dinampo in Zamboanga City. Dinampo, active in the NGao "Bantay Ceasefire" (Guarding the Ceasefire), is was a mid-level officer in the MNLF-Misuari, and a native of Jolo Island-in short, he was a perfect guide.
On June 7th, 2008, all four flew to Jolo together. Checking into the Sulu State College Hostel, Dinampo quickly left them as he went to meet ASG contacts to finalize plans for the envisioned interview with Abu Putol, to take place the following day, Monday, June 9th.
Per the instructions of ABS-CBN's Director of News Gathering, Chari Villa, Drilon was to prepare her questions for Putol in written form. Then, Professor Dinampo alone would travel alone to Putol's stronghold in the foothills outside the municipality of Patikul...verifying that he had indeed met with the ASG factional leader by taking some photos with a small camera Drilon would pass to him. However, when, on Monday morning, Dimampo stopped by her room to tell her his ride was waiting downstairs, Drilon quickly summoned her cameraman and soundman and joined Dinampo on the ride to Indanan, where they would meet ASG members who would escort them to Patikul. Drilon later claimed that her decision had been an impulsive one, and that she had been entirely sincere when she had aceded to Chari Villa's directive forbidding her and her crew from actually travelling to the ASG stronghold.
Climbing into a battered white multicab, Drilon, her crew, and Professor Dinampo began the slow drive to Patikul. Transferring to a Toyota Tamaraw outside of Jolo City, the group continued on, driving along the coast. Along with its driver, Maramo Hashim, was "Guide" Juamil "Maming" Biyaw, who was to lead the group to the ASG camp where Abu Putol would receive them. Arriving in the municipality of Maimbung, the Toyota turned onto a dirt road in Barangay Labbah and soon stopped on the side of the road, at the foot of a steep mountain, next to the Ajid River.
From Barangay Labbah the plan was to hike to Mount Mabusing, and then onward through the adjacent barangays of Datu Ugis and Kapuk Punggul before finally emerging in Barangay Kulasi where they would ascend to the ASG encampment. About a kilometer into the jungle the group came to a small clearing where eight ASG guerillas from another faction, led by Kumander Gafur Jumdail (younger brother of another faction leader Gumbahali "Dr.Abu"Umbra Jumdail) were resting. Biyaw quickly explained to Professor Dinampo thay the men were also members of ASG and would be going with them to Abu Putol's camp.
After an hour of walking a torrential downpour began. Soon coming to an abandoned "nipa," a bamboo framed and palmleaf thatched hut, in which they took shelter. As three of the guerillas stood sullenly between Drilon's group and the door, a heated conversation between Biyaw and the other five guerillas suddenly ended with Biyaw motioning to Professor Dinampo to get the group ready, they would continue on with the eight guerillas but now Biyaw would be going on ahead alone because Abu Putol had requested it.
Biyaw did not travel on to the ASG camp. Instead, he circled around Drilon's group, returning to the vehicle to join their driver, Maramo Hashim, and there he would wait for the group to return. Later he would say he sat with Hashim for four hours before both drove off, suspecting that Drilon and her group had ran into unforseen difficulties. Hashim begged to differ, saying that Biyaw emerged from the jungle and sternly ordered him to leave, which he promptly did.
Meanwhile, after leaving the nipa, Ces Drilon, her two man crew and Professor Octavio Dinampo followed the eight guerilas several more kilometers until they suddenly entered a small encampment under the command of sub-Kumaner Sulayman "Abu Haris" Patta, who occasionaly used the nom de guerre "Kumander Tek." Like Abu Putol, Abu Haris had lost an arm in an encounter with the AFP. Unlike Abu Putol however, Haris had had his "encounter" when he was just five years old. In an AFP ambush the vehicle he was riding in had been peppered with small arms fire. Alive but critically wounded, Haris had had his arm amputated.
If they had had no inkling during their long trek, upon emerging into the ASG encampment on the slopes of Bud Daho there could be mistaking that instead of arriving as honored guests of the Abu Sayyaf, they were being held hostage. Luckily, cameraman Angelo Valderrama had been surreptitiously videotaping the long trek, footage that would be a godsend in the subsequent investigation. Using Drilon's cell phone, Abu Sayyaf contacted her family, opening negotiations with a ransom demand of P20 Million. Shoring up their options the captors then contacted Drilon's employer, the ABS-CBN network. When, on day three, Drilon's cell phone died, Abu Haris had Drilon's SIM card switched to an ASG phone.
Haris warned Drilon that since she was a northener, and time was of the essence, she should advise her family to find a local intemediary to act as their negotiator in the ransom discussions though, he also warned, the figure of P20 Million was non-negotiable. With the figure given, all that remained was the negotiation of the payoff. One of the local politicians who had stayed in close contact with the Drilon Family was Lady Anne Sahidula, the Vice Govto pernor of Sulu Province. When Ces drummed home the importance of a local representative, the family quickly decided to place all its trust in the Vice Governor. This choice seemed to anger Abu Haris, who had also warned Drilon not to rely on any politicians, since all were corrupt thieves. Not one to follow his own counsel, Haris was relying on another local politician to negotiate on his behalf, Mayor Alvarez Isnaji.
To be continued in in Part 2
The case that is most discussed, when talking about ASG and its lack of compunction with journalistts is the case of Ces
Orena Drilon. Ces Drilon, as she is known professionaly, had been warned by her superiors at ABS-CBN not to personally interview ASG factional leader Kumander Radullan "Abu Putol" Sahiron, his nom de guerre a reference to the loss of his right arm in battle during his,years as an officer with the MNLF-Misuari. Elderly even then the factional leader was widely as the most approachable of the ASG factional leaders.
Relying on Professor Octavio Dinampo, of Mindanao State University at Marawi as her contact, Drilon, an assistant cameraman, Angelo Valderrama, and a cameraman, Jimmy Encarnacion left Manila and met Professor Dinampo in Zamboanga City. Dinampo, active in the NGao "Bantay Ceasefire" (Guarding the Ceasefire), is was a mid-level officer in the MNLF-Misuari, and a native of Jolo Island-in short, he was a perfect guide.
On June 7th, 2008, all four flew to Jolo together. Checking into the Sulu State College Hostel, Dinampo quickly left them as he went to meet ASG contacts to finalize plans for the envisioned interview with Abu Putol, to take place the following day, Monday, June 9th.
Per the instructions of ABS-CBN's Director of News Gathering, Chari Villa, Drilon was to prepare her questions for Putol in written form. Then, Professor Dinampo alone would travel alone to Putol's stronghold in the foothills outside the municipality of Patikul...verifying that he had indeed met with the ASG factional leader by taking some photos with a small camera Drilon would pass to him. However, when, on Monday morning, Dimampo stopped by her room to tell her his ride was waiting downstairs, Drilon quickly summoned her cameraman and soundman and joined Dinampo on the ride to Indanan, where they would meet ASG members who would escort them to Patikul. Drilon later claimed that her decision had been an impulsive one, and that she had been entirely sincere when she had aceded to Chari Villa's directive forbidding her and her crew from actually travelling to the ASG stronghold.
Climbing into a battered white multicab, Drilon, her crew, and Professor Dinampo began the slow drive to Patikul. Transferring to a Toyota Tamaraw outside of Jolo City, the group continued on, driving along the coast. Along with its driver, Maramo Hashim, was "Guide" Juamil "Maming" Biyaw, who was to lead the group to the ASG camp where Abu Putol would receive them. Arriving in the municipality of Maimbung, the Toyota turned onto a dirt road in Barangay Labbah and soon stopped on the side of the road, at the foot of a steep mountain, next to the Ajid River.
From Barangay Labbah the plan was to hike to Mount Mabusing, and then onward through the adjacent barangays of Datu Ugis and Kapuk Punggul before finally emerging in Barangay Kulasi where they would ascend to the ASG encampment. About a kilometer into the jungle the group came to a small clearing where eight ASG guerillas from another faction, led by Kumander Gafur Jumdail (younger brother of another faction leader Gumbahali "Dr.Abu"Umbra Jumdail) were resting. Biyaw quickly explained to Professor Dinampo thay the men were also members of ASG and would be going with them to Abu Putol's camp.
After an hour of walking a torrential downpour began. Soon coming to an abandoned "nipa," a bamboo framed and palmleaf thatched hut, in which they took shelter. As three of the guerillas stood sullenly between Drilon's group and the door, a heated conversation between Biyaw and the other five guerillas suddenly ended with Biyaw motioning to Professor Dinampo to get the group ready, they would continue on with the eight guerillas but now Biyaw would be going on ahead alone because Abu Putol had requested it.
Biyaw did not travel on to the ASG camp. Instead, he circled around Drilon's group, returning to the vehicle to join their driver, Maramo Hashim, and there he would wait for the group to return. Later he would say he sat with Hashim for four hours before both drove off, suspecting that Drilon and her group had ran into unforseen difficulties. Hashim begged to differ, saying that Biyaw emerged from the jungle and sternly ordered him to leave, which he promptly did.
Meanwhile, after leaving the nipa, Ces Drilon, her two man crew and Professor Octavio Dinampo followed the eight guerilas several more kilometers until they suddenly entered a small encampment under the command of sub-Kumaner Sulayman "Abu Haris" Patta, who occasionaly used the nom de guerre "Kumander Tek." Like Abu Putol, Abu Haris had lost an arm in an encounter with the AFP. Unlike Abu Putol however, Haris had had his "encounter" when he was just five years old. In an AFP ambush the vehicle he was riding in had been peppered with small arms fire. Alive but critically wounded, Haris had had his arm amputated.
If they had had no inkling during their long trek, upon emerging into the ASG encampment on the slopes of Bud Daho there could be mistaking that instead of arriving as honored guests of the Abu Sayyaf, they were being held hostage. Luckily, cameraman Angelo Valderrama had been surreptitiously videotaping the long trek, footage that would be a godsend in the subsequent investigation. Using Drilon's cell phone, Abu Sayyaf contacted her family, opening negotiations with a ransom demand of P20 Million. Shoring up their options the captors then contacted Drilon's employer, the ABS-CBN network. When, on day three, Drilon's cell phone died, Abu Haris had Drilon's SIM card switched to an ASG phone.
Haris warned Drilon that since she was a northener, and time was of the essence, she should advise her family to find a local intemediary to act as their negotiator in the ransom discussions though, he also warned, the figure of P20 Million was non-negotiable. With the figure given, all that remained was the negotiation of the payoff. One of the local politicians who had stayed in close contact with the Drilon Family was Lady Anne Sahidula, the Vice Govto pernor of Sulu Province. When Ces drummed home the importance of a local representative, the family quickly decided to place all its trust in the Vice Governor. This choice seemed to anger Abu Haris, who had also warned Drilon not to rely on any politicians, since all were corrupt thieves. Not one to follow his own counsel, Haris was relying on another local politician to negotiate on his behalf, Mayor Alvarez Isnaji.
To be continued in in Part 2
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part XIV: Ali Ibrahim Rakman, Kidnapped by Soldiers
In my previous KFR, or, Kidnap for Ransom entries, I have very often offered an overview of just why KFR is so well entrenched here on Mindanao. Tied into the local power base, the industry feeds not only insurgent organisations like Abu Sayyaf and the BIAF, but politicians, police, and yes, even the AFP, or, Armed Forces of the Philippines (BIAF being the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed wing of the MILF). In February of 2011 there was a rash of criminal cases filed against Cotabato City Vice Mayor Muslimin Sema and his KFR organisation, but of course he has managed very well, getting the charges bounced at least two times since. Now, we have a senior AFP officer and two NCOs (Non Commissioned Officers) involved in another KFR organisation. Thus far the AFP is doing the right thing; while one cannot expect full transparency with the organisation (it will be a long time coming, if ever), the mother unit, the 4ID (Infantry Division) has at least allowed the civilian authorities deal with the case.
There are four IDs, or, Infantry Divisions on the island:
1) 1ID, Headquartered at Camp Sang-an in the municipality of Labangan, in Zamboanga del Sur Province, covering all of the Zamboanga Peninsula, all points south of Mainland Mindanao, and most of the Lanao Region (Lanao del Sur Province and a portion of Lanao del Norte Province). The Division is almost entirely dedicated to Islamic Insurgencies. Although there is an NPA Regional Command within its territory, the WMRC, or, Western Mindanao Regional Committee, it is the weakest of the island's five NPA Regional Commands.
2) 6ID, Headquartered in Camp Siongco in the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat, in Maguindanao Province. The division's AOR, or, Area of Responsibility (Area of Operation), is Central Mindanao, the smallest geographical scope of any and yet it sees a lot of action being on the front lines of the BIAF Insurgency, Central Mindanao being that organisation's center of gravity, its heartland.
3) 10ID, Headquartered in Camp Yan, in the municipality of Mawab, in Compostela Valley Province (ComVal), this division's AOR covers the Davao Region (Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and ComVal Provinces). With a small BIAF interaction- mostly through the 73IB (Infantry Battalion), operating in the northern sector of Sarangani Province, this division's bread and butter is the NPA. Indeed, it was created specifically to deal with the NPA, to free up the 4ID, the division that prior to 2006 had the largest single AOR on the island.
4) 4ID, Headquartered in Camp Evangelista, in Cagayan del Oro City on the island's Northern Coast. This division's AOR covers the entire Nortern Coast from the Misamis Oriental and Occidental Provincial borders, moving east along the Northern Coast, then down the entire Eastern Coast until the Caraga and Davao Regional borders at Agusan del Sur and ComVal Provincial lines. This division is entirely dedicated to the NPA at the moment although, from time to time, it has heavy interaction with the BIAF (in the 2000 War it was the lead division).
Therefore, when, after the 1996 FPA, or, Final Peace Agreement (a misnomer if ever there was one) between the Government and the MNLF, and its military wing, the BMA (Bangsamoro Army), the Government needed to integrate nearly 7,000 BMA guerillas into the AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police), the 4ID received the bulk of them. With no Islamic Insurgency the powers to be thought the 4ID to be the best environment for the "Integrees." The thinking was that the culture shock of joining the AFP would be enough of a hurdle without transporting thousands of battle-hardened Muslim tribesmen into points north, like the Visayas Region, or Luzon, and of course the unspoken concern-one that was discussed at length in classified correspondence, was that exporting MNLF/BMA guerillas north could very well widen what had up until then been a problem relegated to the Southern Philippines (and to a slightly lesser extent, Palawan which had a tiny Muslim population on islands off of its southern tip). A significant number also went to the 1ID, but in non-combat elements such as its Engineering Battalion. With the 4ID, they were primed for, and eventually integrated into front line units.
The Integration Programme was a huge undertaking. Just picking a somewhat random example, one aspect, the "Balik Baril" (Gun Return), failed miserably. In order to gain admittance, applicants, after going through the Selection Process, had to surrender at least one long arm. The rifle would then be catalouged, registered, issued an AFP serial number, and then re-distributed to the applicant as his service weapon. The biggest problem in that is that the first of three groups admitted into the Enlisted end of the programme, weren't BMA guerillas at all. Most were either younger relatives of guerillas who were farmed to the programme so as to provide a stable source of income to their large extended families. Others had no direct connection to the MNLF/BMA at all and merely bought their way in, as if buying a career opportunity, at a rather steep price. MNLF/BMA officers on the MNLF half of the administration of the programme profited rather nicely from this. Lastly, most Filipino Muslim Tribes are heavily into Gun Culture. Until the 1950s the de riguer acoutrement was a razour sharp bladed weapon akin to the Middle Eastern Scimtar. Kris, Kampilan, and so forth were worn by all males and were central to male identity. After WWII this changed as firearms finally became more affordable to the masses. Instead of sidearms though, the de riguer weapon now became a longarm, preferably semi-automatic.
Indeed, this is just how the MNLF Insurgency began. After Martial Law had been declared in September of 1972, then-President Marcos decreed that all weapon ownership was now illegal and ordered the now defunct Philippine Constabulary, or, PC, collect all weapons, sector by sector. When the PC attempted to do so in Marawi City, the Maranaw (Maranao) Tribal centre, the population waged war, and from there the entire south quickly went up in flames. Indeed, today, most militaries factor in such cultural affectations as the price of doing business. For example, US Forces in Iraq allow each head of household to retain two fully automatic rifles, the usual long arm being the AK47. This seems counter-intuitive to the laymen, but US Forces now have capable anthropologists on the payroll and realise that stripping a male population of its basic masculinity isn't going to endear the American Forces to the average Iraqi.
Aside from the Enlisted end of the Integration programme, there was also one group of BMA Officers admitted to an abbreviated AFP Officers' Training Course. Such applicants received 48 weeks training that, like the Enlisted end, was undertaken in three phases, albeit much longer than the Enlisted course. Of the three phases, the last phase, number three, being on the job training, so that in reality, BMA officers were only trained for 26 weeks. One looming problem was that whatever rank the BMA officers had been holding, they were inducted as Second Lieutenants. One hundred and sixty officers were integrated, although twenty were within fifteen years of retirement according to AFP Regulations. Then and now the mandatory age of retirement is age 56. Amongst the 140 BMA Officer Integrees who weren't packed away for a relatively quick retirement was an Iranun (Illanun) Tribesmen by the name of Mikunung "Mickey" Tanggote, who grew up amongst Maranaw along the shores of Lake Lanao. Integrated into the 4ID, Tanggote gradually rose from the lowest junior officer rank of Second Lieutenant to the rank he holds today, Major. In command of the division's Military Police company, he is attached to the Headquarters Service Battalion, and until recently served as the battalion's Intelligence Officer, only leaving that position reluctantly upon the incoming transfer of an officer from the IS-AFP, the AFP Intelligence Service, a dedicated position instead of the part time endeavour under Tanggote, as he juggled his different responsibilities.
Like virtually all his fellow Integrees, Major Tanggote earned not only the trust of his peers, but the trust of his superiors. Living on Officers' Row, the onbase housing for AFP officers, Tanggote's entire life revolved around the AFP. Although married with two children, both children were in university and so Mickey spent most of his offtime involved in his hobby, making music. Leading the division's marching band, a position that made Major Tanggote very, very well known on base, he also led of all things, a Country and Western combo in which he sang, in Tagalog, and played lead electric guitar.
Corporal Harvey Mabaylan Borreta served as Major Tanggote's right hand man in the battalion's Intelligence Unit, a de facto Aide de Camp, and when Tanggote rotated out of that command Borreta retained his role as wingman in the Headquarters Service Battalion. At 7PM, on Thursday, December 1st, 2011, Borreta was eating supper with his wife when his cellphone wentoff. Rising from the table he merely told her that he had to get dressed to go meet Major Tanggote. Spending years as the wife of an AFP Intelligence Agent had taught Ms.Borreta not to ask questions. Harvey Boretta hopped aboard his black Honda XRM and roared off into the night.
Major Tanggote then phoned a second subordinate, Staff Sergeant Edwin Paculba and just as he had with Corporal Borreta, didn't offer any details of the "mission" while asking Paculba to meet him and Corporal Borreta at Liceo de Cagayan Resturant, next to the university of the same name. Staff Sergeant Paculba got into his blue Kia SUV and drove off to meet the two men.
As Corporal Borreta was taking that call from his superior, Major Tanggote, another call was taking place across town, at the Cagayan de Oro City CPO, or, City Police Office, the department headquarters. The call, directed to CPO CIDG, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (the equivalent of a Major Crimes Unit), was coming from the Director of the Marawi City CPO, in the adjacent province of Lanao del Sur, Inspector (Insp.) Jaime Mojica Jr. Insp.Mojica advised the Chief of CIDG that a KFR of an important Marawi City businessman, Ibrahim Ali Racman, had taken place on November 29th, and that the family of the victim had just negotiated a P5 Million Ransom ($110,000). The KFR organisation's negotiator had insisted that the payoff take place at SM Mall in Cagayan del Oro City and so Marawi City CPO needed to co-ordinate a joint action plan quickly, since the payoff would take place near midnite, on Father Masterson Avenue in Barangay Upper Carmen. At the moment, Mawari City CPO personnel were tailing two Iranun cousins:
1) Hadji Drisha "Dada" Tomawis Mohamed, alias "Abdul
2) Yahya "Pingko" Moscana Tomawis, alias "Marmaya"
in a red Mazda sedan as it sped towards Cagayan del Oro City. Cagayan del Oro CPO, or, CDO CPO, arranged to meet their colleagues from Marawi City near the agreed upon ransom exchange location, Calda's Pizza, an eatery in SM Mall. Reaching Cagayan del Oro City, Marawi City's Insp.Mojica was puzzled when the red Mazda made its way into Barangay Patag and stopped just outside the main gate to Camp Evangelista, the 4ID Headquarters. There, they saw a man, whom they would soon discover to be Major Tanggote, rise from a bench at a jeepney stop, and get into the rear seat of the Mazda. Tailing it towards Barangay Carmen and the meeting place, the Marawi police were again stymied as the Mazda turned into the carpark for the Liceo de Cagayan Resturant. Parking, only Major Tanggote left the car. Officers watched as the Major walked over two men, standing next to a black Honda XRM and a blue Kia minivan.
After a few minutes spent quietly conferring with one another, Major Tanggote turned and returned to the Mazda and its two occupants, as the blue Kia and Honda motorcycle slowly left the carpark. Minutes later, the red Mazda sedan left as well, followed of course by the Marawi City CPO and its Director, Superintendent Mojica. As the small convoy neared the turnoff for Father Masterson Avenue, the vehicles were joined by a marked unit from the CDO CPO, which then turned on its siren and signaled for the Mazda to pull over. Enraged, Marawi City police officers had no choice now but to follow through. However, instead of stopping, the Mazda gunned its engine and attempted to out run the five police vehicles tailing it. As the car chase reached neared SM Mall, Corporal Borreta on his Honda XRM motorcycle joined the chase. Officers inside the marked CDO CPO car began firing their 45 caliber pistols at the Mazda, prompting Corporal Borreta, while still driving his motorcycle, to pull his AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol and return fire. The massive car chase slash gunbattle finally ground to a halt in the SM Mall carpark, where the sedan screeched to a halt outside the Pan de Pugon Bakeshop. As Tanggote and the two Tomawis cousins attempted to flee on foot, a police officer with an M16 fired in their direction, wounding all three suspects. The two Tomawis cousins, seriously wounded, stopped dead in their tracks. Major Tanggote however, made a dash for it and despite the very late hour, managed to enter a call centre (the huge operations which field phonecalls for corporations' customer service departments, etc.). It was in that call centre lobby that Major Tanggote's colourful life hit a brickwall, dead on.
Frisking all three, Tanggote was found to be carrying a loaded 45 caliber pistol, albeit AFP-issued, and therefore legal. It was during this frisking however, that police officers discovered Tanggote's AFP Identification Card. Immediately calling CDO CPO to inform them of this fact, the CPO soon called the 4ID switchboard to inform them of a shooting incident involving one of their senior officers, and mentioned that KFR charges may be laid on him. Meanwhile, Corporal Borreta had been cornered at the next intersection by a CPO Blocking Force and soon joined the other three suspects in the mall carpark. Staff Sergeant Edwin Paculba managed to elude his pursuers only to run into a mobile PNP checkpoint. Seeing as how a report of the shooting incident had gone out all over the airwaves, the officers at the checkpoint quickly collared him and proceded to CPO Headquarters for interrogation.
While also in civilian clothes, Borreta also carried his AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol with him that night. Just as with his superior, Major Tanggote, Borreta had his AFP ID on him but the CPO had already notified the AFP of one military arrest. They would wait to inform the AFP's responding personnel at CPO Headquarters. The PNP checkpoint that had snared Staff Sergeant Paculba likewise decided to wait for the AFP's response to Major Tanggote, while vouchsafing Paculba's AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol.
Under interrogation by CDO CPO CIDG, it was revealed that the two Tomawis cousins are also cousins with Major Tanggote. Tanggote, in his version, consuming four pages in his affadavit, claimed that his two cousins from Lanao del Sur Province had been in town and invited him out for a meal at that quinessential Filipino takeaway joint, Jollibees. For reasons not disclosed, they had decided instead to eat at Liceo de Cagayan Resturant. While eating there Tanggote says, he and two cousins noticed members from a Marnaw (Maranao) clan that they recognised from Marawi City. The clan in question, the Salics, had been in a "Rido," or violent clan feud, with the Tomawis Clan for an entire generation. Unsettled, the three men then noticed high ranking members of the Marawi City CPO staking out the resturant. Seeing as how the Salic Clan has ruled Marawi City's government for well over a decade now, seeing those police made the three Tomawis clansmrn very nervous. With only one single pistol between the three men, and it by then being nearly 8PM, he desperately reached out to his two subordinates, Corporal Borreta and Staff Sergeant Paculba.
After the two non commision officers, or, NCOs, arrived on scene Tanggote quietly conferred with both. After, the two men agreed to follow Tanggote to Camp Evangelista where he could shed the Salic Clan and their police protection. While en route to the base, on Father Masterson Avenue, Cagayan del ORO CPO officers opened fire on the Mazda carrying the two Tomawis cousins and Major Tanggote. Pulling into the carpark where they car skidded to a stop and its three occupants attempted to make an ill fated run for it, all three Tomawis Clansmem had been shot.
The three wounded suspects were taken to JR Borja Hospital where the two Tomawis cousins were admitted in serious condition while Major Tanggote was patched up and whisked away to enjoy two days of tactical interrogation at the CDO CPO Headquarters, alongside the two NCOs who had been taken there soon after being caught earlier that morning. The AFP deployed a senior officer from JAGO, or, Judge Advocate General's Office (the AFP legal department for both defence and prosecution of major charges), Major Aldrich Uayan, who was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC.) Rene Canete, the Commanding Officer of the 36IB (Infantry Battalion), and a former Commanding Officer of Tanggote's.
LTC.Canete, when hearing the police version of events noted that he was also Tanggote's neighbour on Officer's Row and that the Major hadn't left the base in nearly two weeks. Therefore, he highly doubted the accusation of KFR being made against a fellow senior officer he knew inside and out. Lately, the AFP has taken a few body hits to its collective image, especially here on Mindanao. One Private First Class was found to have beaten his wife to death and then, audaciously, buried her in the brigade headquarters graveyard in an unmarked grave. On Basilan, an Intelligence Officer and two subordinates were nabbed for giving an innocent villager a gasoline enema with a glass pop bottle. In North Cotabato Province, aside from being repeatedly fingered in yet another priest killing, the AFP is accused of murdering yet another villager and these are only three of literally dozens of recent cases- real or figments of propaganda- of which the AFP stands accused. Now, add KFR, which by the way, is not a new accusation.
The two Tomawis cousins have been released due to the defence taking advantage of two loopholes. When an accused subject goes through the pre-requisite inquest, there is a waiver form against Arbitrary Detention. If you sign it, the prosecution may incarcerate you even if you aren't charged. Most defendants sign it unthingkingly. These two men did not. When, at the inquest, a Manila-based prosecutor from the Department of Justice, or, DOJ, failed to include the two in her Charge Sheet- since she, like virtually all prosecutors, used the signed Waiver as a point of reference, the two cousins had their unusually capable attorney file a Writ of Habeus Corpus, on December 6th. On the 7th it was granted and the police guards at the hospital were removed. On December 8th that same Manila-based prosecutor flew into Cagayan del Oro City just to formally ammend her Charge Sheet but alas, there is still no Commitment Order against the men (loophole #2). The two men have been whisked away out of the hospital and into the wind.
The three AFP personnel are however, being held in the city jail in Barangay Lumbia, that same facility where several inmates escaped within the last week, AFTER an escape tunnel being constructed from outside the prison was discovered.
There are four IDs, or, Infantry Divisions on the island:
1) 1ID, Headquartered at Camp Sang-an in the municipality of Labangan, in Zamboanga del Sur Province, covering all of the Zamboanga Peninsula, all points south of Mainland Mindanao, and most of the Lanao Region (Lanao del Sur Province and a portion of Lanao del Norte Province). The Division is almost entirely dedicated to Islamic Insurgencies. Although there is an NPA Regional Command within its territory, the WMRC, or, Western Mindanao Regional Committee, it is the weakest of the island's five NPA Regional Commands.
2) 6ID, Headquartered in Camp Siongco in the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat, in Maguindanao Province. The division's AOR, or, Area of Responsibility (Area of Operation), is Central Mindanao, the smallest geographical scope of any and yet it sees a lot of action being on the front lines of the BIAF Insurgency, Central Mindanao being that organisation's center of gravity, its heartland.
3) 10ID, Headquartered in Camp Yan, in the municipality of Mawab, in Compostela Valley Province (ComVal), this division's AOR covers the Davao Region (Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and ComVal Provinces). With a small BIAF interaction- mostly through the 73IB (Infantry Battalion), operating in the northern sector of Sarangani Province, this division's bread and butter is the NPA. Indeed, it was created specifically to deal with the NPA, to free up the 4ID, the division that prior to 2006 had the largest single AOR on the island.
4) 4ID, Headquartered in Camp Evangelista, in Cagayan del Oro City on the island's Northern Coast. This division's AOR covers the entire Nortern Coast from the Misamis Oriental and Occidental Provincial borders, moving east along the Northern Coast, then down the entire Eastern Coast until the Caraga and Davao Regional borders at Agusan del Sur and ComVal Provincial lines. This division is entirely dedicated to the NPA at the moment although, from time to time, it has heavy interaction with the BIAF (in the 2000 War it was the lead division).
Therefore, when, after the 1996 FPA, or, Final Peace Agreement (a misnomer if ever there was one) between the Government and the MNLF, and its military wing, the BMA (Bangsamoro Army), the Government needed to integrate nearly 7,000 BMA guerillas into the AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police), the 4ID received the bulk of them. With no Islamic Insurgency the powers to be thought the 4ID to be the best environment for the "Integrees." The thinking was that the culture shock of joining the AFP would be enough of a hurdle without transporting thousands of battle-hardened Muslim tribesmen into points north, like the Visayas Region, or Luzon, and of course the unspoken concern-one that was discussed at length in classified correspondence, was that exporting MNLF/BMA guerillas north could very well widen what had up until then been a problem relegated to the Southern Philippines (and to a slightly lesser extent, Palawan which had a tiny Muslim population on islands off of its southern tip). A significant number also went to the 1ID, but in non-combat elements such as its Engineering Battalion. With the 4ID, they were primed for, and eventually integrated into front line units.
The Integration Programme was a huge undertaking. Just picking a somewhat random example, one aspect, the "Balik Baril" (Gun Return), failed miserably. In order to gain admittance, applicants, after going through the Selection Process, had to surrender at least one long arm. The rifle would then be catalouged, registered, issued an AFP serial number, and then re-distributed to the applicant as his service weapon. The biggest problem in that is that the first of three groups admitted into the Enlisted end of the programme, weren't BMA guerillas at all. Most were either younger relatives of guerillas who were farmed to the programme so as to provide a stable source of income to their large extended families. Others had no direct connection to the MNLF/BMA at all and merely bought their way in, as if buying a career opportunity, at a rather steep price. MNLF/BMA officers on the MNLF half of the administration of the programme profited rather nicely from this. Lastly, most Filipino Muslim Tribes are heavily into Gun Culture. Until the 1950s the de riguer acoutrement was a razour sharp bladed weapon akin to the Middle Eastern Scimtar. Kris, Kampilan, and so forth were worn by all males and were central to male identity. After WWII this changed as firearms finally became more affordable to the masses. Instead of sidearms though, the de riguer weapon now became a longarm, preferably semi-automatic.
Indeed, this is just how the MNLF Insurgency began. After Martial Law had been declared in September of 1972, then-President Marcos decreed that all weapon ownership was now illegal and ordered the now defunct Philippine Constabulary, or, PC, collect all weapons, sector by sector. When the PC attempted to do so in Marawi City, the Maranaw (Maranao) Tribal centre, the population waged war, and from there the entire south quickly went up in flames. Indeed, today, most militaries factor in such cultural affectations as the price of doing business. For example, US Forces in Iraq allow each head of household to retain two fully automatic rifles, the usual long arm being the AK47. This seems counter-intuitive to the laymen, but US Forces now have capable anthropologists on the payroll and realise that stripping a male population of its basic masculinity isn't going to endear the American Forces to the average Iraqi.
Aside from the Enlisted end of the Integration programme, there was also one group of BMA Officers admitted to an abbreviated AFP Officers' Training Course. Such applicants received 48 weeks training that, like the Enlisted end, was undertaken in three phases, albeit much longer than the Enlisted course. Of the three phases, the last phase, number three, being on the job training, so that in reality, BMA officers were only trained for 26 weeks. One looming problem was that whatever rank the BMA officers had been holding, they were inducted as Second Lieutenants. One hundred and sixty officers were integrated, although twenty were within fifteen years of retirement according to AFP Regulations. Then and now the mandatory age of retirement is age 56. Amongst the 140 BMA Officer Integrees who weren't packed away for a relatively quick retirement was an Iranun (Illanun) Tribesmen by the name of Mikunung "Mickey" Tanggote, who grew up amongst Maranaw along the shores of Lake Lanao. Integrated into the 4ID, Tanggote gradually rose from the lowest junior officer rank of Second Lieutenant to the rank he holds today, Major. In command of the division's Military Police company, he is attached to the Headquarters Service Battalion, and until recently served as the battalion's Intelligence Officer, only leaving that position reluctantly upon the incoming transfer of an officer from the IS-AFP, the AFP Intelligence Service, a dedicated position instead of the part time endeavour under Tanggote, as he juggled his different responsibilities.
Like virtually all his fellow Integrees, Major Tanggote earned not only the trust of his peers, but the trust of his superiors. Living on Officers' Row, the onbase housing for AFP officers, Tanggote's entire life revolved around the AFP. Although married with two children, both children were in university and so Mickey spent most of his offtime involved in his hobby, making music. Leading the division's marching band, a position that made Major Tanggote very, very well known on base, he also led of all things, a Country and Western combo in which he sang, in Tagalog, and played lead electric guitar.
Corporal Harvey Mabaylan Borreta served as Major Tanggote's right hand man in the battalion's Intelligence Unit, a de facto Aide de Camp, and when Tanggote rotated out of that command Borreta retained his role as wingman in the Headquarters Service Battalion. At 7PM, on Thursday, December 1st, 2011, Borreta was eating supper with his wife when his cellphone wentoff. Rising from the table he merely told her that he had to get dressed to go meet Major Tanggote. Spending years as the wife of an AFP Intelligence Agent had taught Ms.Borreta not to ask questions. Harvey Boretta hopped aboard his black Honda XRM and roared off into the night.
Major Tanggote then phoned a second subordinate, Staff Sergeant Edwin Paculba and just as he had with Corporal Borreta, didn't offer any details of the "mission" while asking Paculba to meet him and Corporal Borreta at Liceo de Cagayan Resturant, next to the university of the same name. Staff Sergeant Paculba got into his blue Kia SUV and drove off to meet the two men.
As Corporal Borreta was taking that call from his superior, Major Tanggote, another call was taking place across town, at the Cagayan de Oro City CPO, or, City Police Office, the department headquarters. The call, directed to CPO CIDG, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (the equivalent of a Major Crimes Unit), was coming from the Director of the Marawi City CPO, in the adjacent province of Lanao del Sur, Inspector (Insp.) Jaime Mojica Jr. Insp.Mojica advised the Chief of CIDG that a KFR of an important Marawi City businessman, Ibrahim Ali Racman, had taken place on November 29th, and that the family of the victim had just negotiated a P5 Million Ransom ($110,000). The KFR organisation's negotiator had insisted that the payoff take place at SM Mall in Cagayan del Oro City and so Marawi City CPO needed to co-ordinate a joint action plan quickly, since the payoff would take place near midnite, on Father Masterson Avenue in Barangay Upper Carmen. At the moment, Mawari City CPO personnel were tailing two Iranun cousins:
1) Hadji Drisha "Dada" Tomawis Mohamed, alias "Abdul
2) Yahya "Pingko" Moscana Tomawis, alias "Marmaya"
in a red Mazda sedan as it sped towards Cagayan del Oro City. Cagayan del Oro CPO, or, CDO CPO, arranged to meet their colleagues from Marawi City near the agreed upon ransom exchange location, Calda's Pizza, an eatery in SM Mall. Reaching Cagayan del Oro City, Marawi City's Insp.Mojica was puzzled when the red Mazda made its way into Barangay Patag and stopped just outside the main gate to Camp Evangelista, the 4ID Headquarters. There, they saw a man, whom they would soon discover to be Major Tanggote, rise from a bench at a jeepney stop, and get into the rear seat of the Mazda. Tailing it towards Barangay Carmen and the meeting place, the Marawi police were again stymied as the Mazda turned into the carpark for the Liceo de Cagayan Resturant. Parking, only Major Tanggote left the car. Officers watched as the Major walked over two men, standing next to a black Honda XRM and a blue Kia minivan.
After a few minutes spent quietly conferring with one another, Major Tanggote turned and returned to the Mazda and its two occupants, as the blue Kia and Honda motorcycle slowly left the carpark. Minutes later, the red Mazda sedan left as well, followed of course by the Marawi City CPO and its Director, Superintendent Mojica. As the small convoy neared the turnoff for Father Masterson Avenue, the vehicles were joined by a marked unit from the CDO CPO, which then turned on its siren and signaled for the Mazda to pull over. Enraged, Marawi City police officers had no choice now but to follow through. However, instead of stopping, the Mazda gunned its engine and attempted to out run the five police vehicles tailing it. As the car chase reached neared SM Mall, Corporal Borreta on his Honda XRM motorcycle joined the chase. Officers inside the marked CDO CPO car began firing their 45 caliber pistols at the Mazda, prompting Corporal Borreta, while still driving his motorcycle, to pull his AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol and return fire. The massive car chase slash gunbattle finally ground to a halt in the SM Mall carpark, where the sedan screeched to a halt outside the Pan de Pugon Bakeshop. As Tanggote and the two Tomawis cousins attempted to flee on foot, a police officer with an M16 fired in their direction, wounding all three suspects. The two Tomawis cousins, seriously wounded, stopped dead in their tracks. Major Tanggote however, made a dash for it and despite the very late hour, managed to enter a call centre (the huge operations which field phonecalls for corporations' customer service departments, etc.). It was in that call centre lobby that Major Tanggote's colourful life hit a brickwall, dead on.
Frisking all three, Tanggote was found to be carrying a loaded 45 caliber pistol, albeit AFP-issued, and therefore legal. It was during this frisking however, that police officers discovered Tanggote's AFP Identification Card. Immediately calling CDO CPO to inform them of this fact, the CPO soon called the 4ID switchboard to inform them of a shooting incident involving one of their senior officers, and mentioned that KFR charges may be laid on him. Meanwhile, Corporal Borreta had been cornered at the next intersection by a CPO Blocking Force and soon joined the other three suspects in the mall carpark. Staff Sergeant Edwin Paculba managed to elude his pursuers only to run into a mobile PNP checkpoint. Seeing as how a report of the shooting incident had gone out all over the airwaves, the officers at the checkpoint quickly collared him and proceded to CPO Headquarters for interrogation.
While also in civilian clothes, Borreta also carried his AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol with him that night. Just as with his superior, Major Tanggote, Borreta had his AFP ID on him but the CPO had already notified the AFP of one military arrest. They would wait to inform the AFP's responding personnel at CPO Headquarters. The PNP checkpoint that had snared Staff Sergeant Paculba likewise decided to wait for the AFP's response to Major Tanggote, while vouchsafing Paculba's AFP-issued 45 caliber pistol.
Under interrogation by CDO CPO CIDG, it was revealed that the two Tomawis cousins are also cousins with Major Tanggote. Tanggote, in his version, consuming four pages in his affadavit, claimed that his two cousins from Lanao del Sur Province had been in town and invited him out for a meal at that quinessential Filipino takeaway joint, Jollibees. For reasons not disclosed, they had decided instead to eat at Liceo de Cagayan Resturant. While eating there Tanggote says, he and two cousins noticed members from a Marnaw (Maranao) clan that they recognised from Marawi City. The clan in question, the Salics, had been in a "Rido," or violent clan feud, with the Tomawis Clan for an entire generation. Unsettled, the three men then noticed high ranking members of the Marawi City CPO staking out the resturant. Seeing as how the Salic Clan has ruled Marawi City's government for well over a decade now, seeing those police made the three Tomawis clansmrn very nervous. With only one single pistol between the three men, and it by then being nearly 8PM, he desperately reached out to his two subordinates, Corporal Borreta and Staff Sergeant Paculba.
After the two non commision officers, or, NCOs, arrived on scene Tanggote quietly conferred with both. After, the two men agreed to follow Tanggote to Camp Evangelista where he could shed the Salic Clan and their police protection. While en route to the base, on Father Masterson Avenue, Cagayan del ORO CPO officers opened fire on the Mazda carrying the two Tomawis cousins and Major Tanggote. Pulling into the carpark where they car skidded to a stop and its three occupants attempted to make an ill fated run for it, all three Tomawis Clansmem had been shot.
The three wounded suspects were taken to JR Borja Hospital where the two Tomawis cousins were admitted in serious condition while Major Tanggote was patched up and whisked away to enjoy two days of tactical interrogation at the CDO CPO Headquarters, alongside the two NCOs who had been taken there soon after being caught earlier that morning. The AFP deployed a senior officer from JAGO, or, Judge Advocate General's Office (the AFP legal department for both defence and prosecution of major charges), Major Aldrich Uayan, who was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel (LTC.) Rene Canete, the Commanding Officer of the 36IB (Infantry Battalion), and a former Commanding Officer of Tanggote's.
LTC.Canete, when hearing the police version of events noted that he was also Tanggote's neighbour on Officer's Row and that the Major hadn't left the base in nearly two weeks. Therefore, he highly doubted the accusation of KFR being made against a fellow senior officer he knew inside and out. Lately, the AFP has taken a few body hits to its collective image, especially here on Mindanao. One Private First Class was found to have beaten his wife to death and then, audaciously, buried her in the brigade headquarters graveyard in an unmarked grave. On Basilan, an Intelligence Officer and two subordinates were nabbed for giving an innocent villager a gasoline enema with a glass pop bottle. In North Cotabato Province, aside from being repeatedly fingered in yet another priest killing, the AFP is accused of murdering yet another villager and these are only three of literally dozens of recent cases- real or figments of propaganda- of which the AFP stands accused. Now, add KFR, which by the way, is not a new accusation.
The two Tomawis cousins have been released due to the defence taking advantage of two loopholes. When an accused subject goes through the pre-requisite inquest, there is a waiver form against Arbitrary Detention. If you sign it, the prosecution may incarcerate you even if you aren't charged. Most defendants sign it unthingkingly. These two men did not. When, at the inquest, a Manila-based prosecutor from the Department of Justice, or, DOJ, failed to include the two in her Charge Sheet- since she, like virtually all prosecutors, used the signed Waiver as a point of reference, the two cousins had their unusually capable attorney file a Writ of Habeus Corpus, on December 6th. On the 7th it was granted and the police guards at the hospital were removed. On December 8th that same Manila-based prosecutor flew into Cagayan del Oro City just to formally ammend her Charge Sheet but alas, there is still no Commitment Order against the men (loophole #2). The two men have been whisked away out of the hospital and into the wind.
The three AFP personnel are however, being held in the city jail in Barangay Lumbia, that same facility where several inmates escaped within the last week, AFTER an escape tunnel being constructed from outside the prison was discovered.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, PartXI: The Release of Three Koreans on the Lanao Border and the Execution of One Filipino on Lake Lanao
In my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VIII," I discussed six treasure hunters, three South Koreans and three Filipinos whose local guide led them right into a KFR, or, Kidnap for Ransom. The three Koreans:
1) Kim Nam Doo, age 48
2) Woo Seok Bong, age 60
3) In Choi Soo, age 53
checked into the Cagayan de Oro City's Miami Inn, a local hotel in Misamis Oriental Province, on October 20th, 2011. There they rendevouzed with their three local "partners":
1) Junie Ongie, of El Salvador, a municipality in that same province of Misamis Oriental
2) Nestor Modejar, of Barobo, a town in Surigao del Sur Province
and an unnamed third man, reputedly an "engineer" from the municipality of Parang, in Maguindanao Province. The six were met by a Maranaw (Maranaoan) Tribesmen who they had hired as their local guide for the Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental Provincial border region. Arriving at the hotel the guide had unexpectedly brought along two other Maranaw. Together the nine men left and instead of traveling to the borders of Lanao del Norte Province and Misamis Occidental Province, they ended up on the south shore of Lake Lanao, a place rife with KFR activity.
When the Koreans hadn't returned to the Miami Inn by October 31st, its manager reported the men as missing at the CPO, or City Police Office. This was the first authorities had heard of the incident although the kidnappers had been negotiating with the Koreans' families since just after their abduction. Initially demanding a package deal of P50 Million ($1.1 Million) for the three Koreans, calls had come regularly as the families did their best to maintain regular contact, parrying with kidnappers demands. Since the kidnappers had been communicating using their victims' cellphones. Which, unlike nearly all Philippine cellphones, are not prepaid devices, the families were able to use the frequent calls towards their advantage. Soon after receiving the initial telephone calls, two of the Koreans families had immediately gone to their local police stations which in turn almost immediately led to the South Korean Government involving itself. Triangulating (extrapolating) the cellphone signals allowed unofficial South Korean Government "investigators," a euphanism for Intelligence Agents, to zero in on the kidnapper's location, which as suspected, was almost exactly on the south shore of Lake Lanao.
The agents also zeroed in on the kidnappers' negotiator, Jhonny [sic] Tawan-Tawan, the former Mayor of Salvador, a municipality in Lanao del Norte Province, directly abutting the Lanao del Sur border. After learning that the management at the Miami Inn had contacted Philippine authorities the South Korean Government offered to liason with the local authorities handling the case. The actual kidnappers themselves are led by sub-Kumander Pogi of the BIAF, or, Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the armed wing of the MILF is known. A member of the 101 Base Command based in the town of Wao in Lanao del Norte Province, Pogi hopes to cash in on all the ransoms being collected by the adjacent 113 Base Command. When a much more reasonable P1 Million ($21,000) was offered in a package deal that would lead to the release of all three Koreans, the Korean Government accepted the terms.
On Thursdat, November 24th, one of the Koreans, Choi In Soo, was released on the border of Barangay Deguyanan in the municipality of Madamba in Lanao del Sur Province and the municipality of Salvador's Barangay Kalimudan in Lanao del Norte Province where the ever helpful ex-Mayor of Salvador, Jhonny Tawan-Tawan delivered a seriously ill Mr.Choi to soldiers from Task Force Ranaw. Choi, suffering for internal bleeding related to a stomach ulcer was rushed to Marawi City, home of the Task Force, where he was immediately operated on. After four hours he was wheeled out and is hopefully well on the road to revocery.
Mr.Choi had been released prior to the ransom handover because of his ill health. His two fellow South Koreans, Mr.Woo and Mr.Kim were released 21 hours later in Salvador, after a soldier from the Task Force delivered the full ransom on behalf of the South Korean Government.
As for the three Filipino captives, Mr.Modejar was executed after five days in captivity although his remains have yet to be recovered. The murder took place after his family truthfully explained that they were peasants and barely had enough money to buy rice each day. As for the other two, they are still being held as their families work to save each of them.
1) Kim Nam Doo, age 48
2) Woo Seok Bong, age 60
3) In Choi Soo, age 53
checked into the Cagayan de Oro City's Miami Inn, a local hotel in Misamis Oriental Province, on October 20th, 2011. There they rendevouzed with their three local "partners":
1) Junie Ongie, of El Salvador, a municipality in that same province of Misamis Oriental
2) Nestor Modejar, of Barobo, a town in Surigao del Sur Province
and an unnamed third man, reputedly an "engineer" from the municipality of Parang, in Maguindanao Province. The six were met by a Maranaw (Maranaoan) Tribesmen who they had hired as their local guide for the Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental Provincial border region. Arriving at the hotel the guide had unexpectedly brought along two other Maranaw. Together the nine men left and instead of traveling to the borders of Lanao del Norte Province and Misamis Occidental Province, they ended up on the south shore of Lake Lanao, a place rife with KFR activity.
When the Koreans hadn't returned to the Miami Inn by October 31st, its manager reported the men as missing at the CPO, or City Police Office. This was the first authorities had heard of the incident although the kidnappers had been negotiating with the Koreans' families since just after their abduction. Initially demanding a package deal of P50 Million ($1.1 Million) for the three Koreans, calls had come regularly as the families did their best to maintain regular contact, parrying with kidnappers demands. Since the kidnappers had been communicating using their victims' cellphones. Which, unlike nearly all Philippine cellphones, are not prepaid devices, the families were able to use the frequent calls towards their advantage. Soon after receiving the initial telephone calls, two of the Koreans families had immediately gone to their local police stations which in turn almost immediately led to the South Korean Government involving itself. Triangulating (extrapolating) the cellphone signals allowed unofficial South Korean Government "investigators," a euphanism for Intelligence Agents, to zero in on the kidnapper's location, which as suspected, was almost exactly on the south shore of Lake Lanao.
The agents also zeroed in on the kidnappers' negotiator, Jhonny [sic] Tawan-Tawan, the former Mayor of Salvador, a municipality in Lanao del Norte Province, directly abutting the Lanao del Sur border. After learning that the management at the Miami Inn had contacted Philippine authorities the South Korean Government offered to liason with the local authorities handling the case. The actual kidnappers themselves are led by sub-Kumander Pogi of the BIAF, or, Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the armed wing of the MILF is known. A member of the 101 Base Command based in the town of Wao in Lanao del Norte Province, Pogi hopes to cash in on all the ransoms being collected by the adjacent 113 Base Command. When a much more reasonable P1 Million ($21,000) was offered in a package deal that would lead to the release of all three Koreans, the Korean Government accepted the terms.
On Thursdat, November 24th, one of the Koreans, Choi In Soo, was released on the border of Barangay Deguyanan in the municipality of Madamba in Lanao del Sur Province and the municipality of Salvador's Barangay Kalimudan in Lanao del Norte Province where the ever helpful ex-Mayor of Salvador, Jhonny Tawan-Tawan delivered a seriously ill Mr.Choi to soldiers from Task Force Ranaw. Choi, suffering for internal bleeding related to a stomach ulcer was rushed to Marawi City, home of the Task Force, where he was immediately operated on. After four hours he was wheeled out and is hopefully well on the road to revocery.
Mr.Choi had been released prior to the ransom handover because of his ill health. His two fellow South Koreans, Mr.Woo and Mr.Kim were released 21 hours later in Salvador, after a soldier from the Task Force delivered the full ransom on behalf of the South Korean Government.
As for the three Filipino captives, Mr.Modejar was executed after five days in captivity although his remains have yet to be recovered. The murder took place after his family truthfully explained that they were peasants and barely had enough money to buy rice each day. As for the other two, they are still being held as their families work to save each of them.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part IX: The Release of Monaliza Almonte Kapa
As noted in "Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part V," Monaliza Almonte Kapa was kidnapped by the BIAF 113 Base Command, the BIAF being the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as the armed wing of the MILF is known. The 113 Base Command, the BIAF formation with operational control over the entire Zamboanga Peninsula, save the offshore islands attached to Zamboanga City, primarily earns its keep by KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, and to a slightly lesser extent, by extortion. Indeed, it was this particular kidnapping that directly set in motion that hugely expencive Military operation in late October and early November, that accomplished nothing other then capturing a former MNLF camp in the municipality of Payao, in Zamboanga Sibugay Province.
As noted in a recent "MILF Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011" entry, Payao had been a long time coming and had been on the table since last spring's BIAF attack of a Rural Transit Lines passenger bus in the municipality of Tungawan, also in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. In that attack four guerillas from the 113 Base Command boarded the bus after hailing it near the end of its Ipil to Zamboanga City route. As the bus entered a series of challenging "s" turns in a mountain pass two of the young men stood up and revealed 45 caliber pistols. One of the men suddenly pivoted amd quickly fired a single round through the eyes of one of two CAAs serving as bus marshals. CAAs, or Civilian Active Auxiliaries are members of (almost always) geographically fixed armed reservists. Of the two types of CAAs, SCAAs, or Special CAAs, or privately funded paramilitaries under the employ of private businessmen. In this case, the owner of Rural Transit Lines needed protection for his large fleet and so formed his own paramilitary and employed two CAAs on each bus.
Rural Transit Line needed protection because like virtually any large business on Mindanao, his bus company had been targeted by professional extortion groups, in this case that group was the 113 Base Command although the company is also targeted by the 102 Base Command on its Lanao routes as well. Refusing to pay, Rural has been targeted for six years running now and as such, anyone on a Rural Transit bus is in serious risk of losing their life.
As the young men fired his 45 caliber pistol at the CAA sitting at the rear of the bus a man sitting next to the CAA instinctively reached for his own side arm and was killed along with his wife sitting next to him. That man was Major Julastidi Arasid, the Executive Officer of the 18IB (Infantry Battalion). He and his wife were making their way to Zamboanga City for their 15 year old son's highschool graduation (Philippine students graduate highschool at or slightly before age 16). Afterwards the gunmen and his three colleagues forced everyone off of the bus, including the second CAA who had been shot and wounded as well, and the bus was set afire, burning the remainins of the Major, his wife, and the murdered CAA.
That horrible incident suddenly made the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, anxious to reign in the man behind the multitude of attacks on Rural, and when they quickly discovered who the culprit was. BIAF sub-Kumander Waning Abdusalam, headquartered in that former MNLF camp in the municipality of Payao, they set their sights upon him. Sadly, it took more than five years of heinous crimes against civilians before the AFP was ready to act but at least they were moving against him.
After three halh hearted attempts, which will be discussed in a piece on this last campaign in Payao that is currently in the pipeline, a fourth was planned in order to try and get a handle on the aforementioned KFR victim, Monaliza Almonte Kapa. The SWAG, or, Naval Special Weapons Attack Group, a Naval Special Forces unit, was deployed off of Payao to prevent Waning Abdusalam from fleeing by water, as well as his possibly receiving re-inforcements. The stated objective was to prevent the 113 Base Command from taking Ms.Kapa off of the Zamboanga Peninsula and onto Basilan. Of course Ms.Kapa had never been taken to Payao. Instead, she had been taken to Olutanga Island where she was sold to the 114 Base Command which then took her to their strongest province, Basilan. It was in and around the municipality of Al Barka that Ms.Kapa had been repeatedly sighted.
Unbeknownst to the kidnappers apparently was that Ms.Kapa, a Muslim, had an uncle, Alimuddin Danganan Bual, a mid-ranking officer in the BIAF. Bual quickly assumed the role of family negotiator and just as quickly overcame the 114 Base Command's opening gambit of a demand for P20 Million ($425,000). Finally, whittling down the ransom to P500,000 ($11,000). The ransom was handed over to a BIAF courier on Thursday, November 17th, 2011, and on Friday evening, at 645PM, Ms.Kapa was released to her uncle on Varela Street in Zamboanga City's downtown area. The uncle immediately delivered by Ms.Kapa to the 102nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters for the requisite de-briefing and cursory medical examination. By midnite Ms.Kapa was back with her husband at their home in the municipality of Pitogo in Zamboanga del Sur Province.
As noted in a recent "MILF Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011" entry, Payao had been a long time coming and had been on the table since last spring's BIAF attack of a Rural Transit Lines passenger bus in the municipality of Tungawan, also in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. In that attack four guerillas from the 113 Base Command boarded the bus after hailing it near the end of its Ipil to Zamboanga City route. As the bus entered a series of challenging "s" turns in a mountain pass two of the young men stood up and revealed 45 caliber pistols. One of the men suddenly pivoted amd quickly fired a single round through the eyes of one of two CAAs serving as bus marshals. CAAs, or Civilian Active Auxiliaries are members of (almost always) geographically fixed armed reservists. Of the two types of CAAs, SCAAs, or Special CAAs, or privately funded paramilitaries under the employ of private businessmen. In this case, the owner of Rural Transit Lines needed protection for his large fleet and so formed his own paramilitary and employed two CAAs on each bus.
Rural Transit Line needed protection because like virtually any large business on Mindanao, his bus company had been targeted by professional extortion groups, in this case that group was the 113 Base Command although the company is also targeted by the 102 Base Command on its Lanao routes as well. Refusing to pay, Rural has been targeted for six years running now and as such, anyone on a Rural Transit bus is in serious risk of losing their life.
As the young men fired his 45 caliber pistol at the CAA sitting at the rear of the bus a man sitting next to the CAA instinctively reached for his own side arm and was killed along with his wife sitting next to him. That man was Major Julastidi Arasid, the Executive Officer of the 18IB (Infantry Battalion). He and his wife were making their way to Zamboanga City for their 15 year old son's highschool graduation (Philippine students graduate highschool at or slightly before age 16). Afterwards the gunmen and his three colleagues forced everyone off of the bus, including the second CAA who had been shot and wounded as well, and the bus was set afire, burning the remainins of the Major, his wife, and the murdered CAA.
That horrible incident suddenly made the AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines, anxious to reign in the man behind the multitude of attacks on Rural, and when they quickly discovered who the culprit was. BIAF sub-Kumander Waning Abdusalam, headquartered in that former MNLF camp in the municipality of Payao, they set their sights upon him. Sadly, it took more than five years of heinous crimes against civilians before the AFP was ready to act but at least they were moving against him.
After three halh hearted attempts, which will be discussed in a piece on this last campaign in Payao that is currently in the pipeline, a fourth was planned in order to try and get a handle on the aforementioned KFR victim, Monaliza Almonte Kapa. The SWAG, or, Naval Special Weapons Attack Group, a Naval Special Forces unit, was deployed off of Payao to prevent Waning Abdusalam from fleeing by water, as well as his possibly receiving re-inforcements. The stated objective was to prevent the 113 Base Command from taking Ms.Kapa off of the Zamboanga Peninsula and onto Basilan. Of course Ms.Kapa had never been taken to Payao. Instead, she had been taken to Olutanga Island where she was sold to the 114 Base Command which then took her to their strongest province, Basilan. It was in and around the municipality of Al Barka that Ms.Kapa had been repeatedly sighted.
Unbeknownst to the kidnappers apparently was that Ms.Kapa, a Muslim, had an uncle, Alimuddin Danganan Bual, a mid-ranking officer in the BIAF. Bual quickly assumed the role of family negotiator and just as quickly overcame the 114 Base Command's opening gambit of a demand for P20 Million ($425,000). Finally, whittling down the ransom to P500,000 ($11,000). The ransom was handed over to a BIAF courier on Thursday, November 17th, 2011, and on Friday evening, at 645PM, Ms.Kapa was released to her uncle on Varela Street in Zamboanga City's downtown area. The uncle immediately delivered by Ms.Kapa to the 102nd Infantry Brigade Headquarters for the requisite de-briefing and cursory medical examination. By midnite Ms.Kapa was back with her husband at their home in the municipality of Pitogo in Zamboanga del Sur Province.
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part X: Leopoldo "Ronnie" Cabaya
Friday night, November 18th, 2011, Leopoldo "Ronnie" Cabaya took a rare evening off from his studies to enjoy a local barangay fiesta near his home in the municipality of Aleosan, in North Cotabato Province. With his days spent as a servant to a well to do family in the adjacent municipality of Midsayap, and most evenings spent studying at Southern Christian College in that same town, Ronnie's chances to relax came far and between. Still, when he finally graduated and found suitable work as an accountant it would all be worth it.
At just past midnite, Saturday, Ronnie found a "habal habal," or motorcycle taxi, to catch a ride back to Midsayap so that he could be ready for work later on that morning. As the motorcycle sped down Aleosan Kidapawan Hiway a another motorcycle passed them at a high rate of speed, carrying a passenger on the back riding tandem, the habal habal driver noticed both men on the other motorcycle were staring at them very intently before they accelerated far ahead of them. Suddenly, upahead, at Crossing Dualing, in Barangay Dualing,the driver saw that the road had been blocked by a pickup truck and two motorcycles parked lengthwise over the breadth of the road. Slowing down, thinking that it was an accident, by the time the driver realised what was really taking place it was too late to flee. Several men already had M16s and AK47s trained on him and his passenger.
As the driver was sitting there, unsure of his next course of action, four of the gunmen hurriedly ran over and grabbed his passenger, Ronnie, off of the rear of the habal habal and frog marched him over to the pickup truck, which then quickly sped off into the dark. As the impromptu checkpoint quickly disappeared the habal habal driver immediately proceeded to the Aleosan MPO, or Municipal Police Office. As he was quickly debriefed by the duty officer he recalled a strange comment made by one of the kidnappers to another, saying they had finally "captured the mayor's son." At once the dduty officer asked the habal habal driver, now the only eyewitness to a kidnapping, to examine a photo and tell him whether or not the man in the photograph looked familiar.
Startled, the driver admitted that that had been his passenger, the young man who had just been kidnapped. The officer immediately phoned the Mayor of Aleosan, Loreto Cabaya, and after apologising for calling at such an impolite hour, asked the Mayor if he knew the whereabouts of his son Jason. Mayor Cabayas answered in the affirmative and informed the duty officer that his son Jason was asleep in front of him, on the "sala" (livingroom) sofa. Perplexed, the duty officer explained about the kidnapping and how the habal habal driver had identified the victim as Jason. Moreover, the officer said, one of the kidnappers had told one of his accomplices that they had just snared the Mayor's son.
Almost immediately the Mayor surmised what had happened but told the officer to hold on for a few moments as he checked on some very important information. Calling a relative he discovered that his nephew Leopoldo "Ronnie" Cabayas had failed to return home from a barangay fiesta. Immediately informing the duty officer that the victim wasn't his son, but rather his nephew, the MPO immediately implemented checkpoints along major roads but it was too late. The pickup truck was last seen driving into Aleosan's Barangay Dungguan, was soon discovered next to a creek, having been set on fire as the gunmen headed into Liguasan Marsh by boat.
Apparently thr victim of mistaken identity, Ronnie's destitute parents have already been contacted by the kidnappers" negotiator who opened with the usual ridiculous gambit of P20 Million ($450,000). Ronnie doesn't work as a servant as a hobby. He does so because he is destitute. Hopefully his captors will not kill him when they discover this.
At just past midnite, Saturday, Ronnie found a "habal habal," or motorcycle taxi, to catch a ride back to Midsayap so that he could be ready for work later on that morning. As the motorcycle sped down Aleosan Kidapawan Hiway a another motorcycle passed them at a high rate of speed, carrying a passenger on the back riding tandem, the habal habal driver noticed both men on the other motorcycle were staring at them very intently before they accelerated far ahead of them. Suddenly, upahead, at Crossing Dualing, in Barangay Dualing,the driver saw that the road had been blocked by a pickup truck and two motorcycles parked lengthwise over the breadth of the road. Slowing down, thinking that it was an accident, by the time the driver realised what was really taking place it was too late to flee. Several men already had M16s and AK47s trained on him and his passenger.
As the driver was sitting there, unsure of his next course of action, four of the gunmen hurriedly ran over and grabbed his passenger, Ronnie, off of the rear of the habal habal and frog marched him over to the pickup truck, which then quickly sped off into the dark. As the impromptu checkpoint quickly disappeared the habal habal driver immediately proceeded to the Aleosan MPO, or Municipal Police Office. As he was quickly debriefed by the duty officer he recalled a strange comment made by one of the kidnappers to another, saying they had finally "captured the mayor's son." At once the dduty officer asked the habal habal driver, now the only eyewitness to a kidnapping, to examine a photo and tell him whether or not the man in the photograph looked familiar.
Startled, the driver admitted that that had been his passenger, the young man who had just been kidnapped. The officer immediately phoned the Mayor of Aleosan, Loreto Cabaya, and after apologising for calling at such an impolite hour, asked the Mayor if he knew the whereabouts of his son Jason. Mayor Cabayas answered in the affirmative and informed the duty officer that his son Jason was asleep in front of him, on the "sala" (livingroom) sofa. Perplexed, the duty officer explained about the kidnapping and how the habal habal driver had identified the victim as Jason. Moreover, the officer said, one of the kidnappers had told one of his accomplices that they had just snared the Mayor's son.
Almost immediately the Mayor surmised what had happened but told the officer to hold on for a few moments as he checked on some very important information. Calling a relative he discovered that his nephew Leopoldo "Ronnie" Cabayas had failed to return home from a barangay fiesta. Immediately informing the duty officer that the victim wasn't his son, but rather his nephew, the MPO immediately implemented checkpoints along major roads but it was too late. The pickup truck was last seen driving into Aleosan's Barangay Dungguan, was soon discovered next to a creek, having been set on fire as the gunmen headed into Liguasan Marsh by boat.
Apparently thr victim of mistaken identity, Ronnie's destitute parents have already been contacted by the kidnappers" negotiator who opened with the usual ridiculous gambit of P20 Million ($450,000). Ronnie doesn't work as a servant as a hobby. He does so because he is destitute. Hopefully his captors will not kill him when they discover this.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VIII: Three South Koreans and Three Filipinos in Lanao
Amongst expatriates South Koreans most definitely form the largest demographic in the Philippines. Given their geographic proximity on the Pacific Rim and their much higher standard of living than that of the Philippines, the Philippines naturally becomes a preferred destination for ambitious and somewhat adventurous Korean entrepeneurs. Officialy speaking of course the largest demographic is the Americans. The discrepancy hinges upon virtually all American visitors remaining on the right side of the Bureau of Immigration and its visa system. South Koreans on the other hand often don't bother with such niceties. Coming here to find their fortune, egged on by those that have come before, just about every major Philippine city has its large Korean Community.
With such a large and upwardly mobile population it only serves that South Koreans would be finding themselves victimised by predatory organisations, both KFR, or, Kidnap for Ransom, as well as extortion outfits dealing in protection rackets involving the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) to BI (Burea of Immigration).
Therefore it should come as no suprise that South Koreans end up being kidnapped from time to time. The latest incident revolves around three South Koreans:
1) Kim Nam Doo, age 48
2) Woo Seok Bung, age 60
3) Choi In Soo, age 53
who are reputed to be "Treasure Hunters" although the local media- what little attention has been offered- refer to the three as "Mining Inspectors." Treasure Hunters are the gullible souls who fall prey to stories about primitive tribesmen discovering hordes of precious metal or alternatively, crates of Bearer Bonds, et cetera, OR, fleeing Japanese soldiers secreting war booty that has somehow come to light. The tribesmen, being primitive, have no realisation of the value of the find and are, for example, willing to part with something worth 20 Million Pesos for a mere 1 Million Pesos. I suppose that in the days before the internet existed one could understand how people could repeatedly keep getting into such messes but in this day and age, with the literally hundreds of reports on such cases that at the very best end with a simple strong armed robbery, it defies basic logic and common sense and yet, as we see, it never stops.
The three men checked into the Miami Inn Hotel in Cagayan del Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province on October 20th, 2011 and soon met with three local "partners" whom they had met online:
1) Junie Ongie, of El Salvador, a municipality on that same province, Misamis Oriental
2) Nestor Modejar, of Barobo, in Surigao del Sur Province
and the third man, a reputed "mining engineer" from the municipality of Parang, in Maguindanao Province.
The six men then contracted the services of a guide from the Lake Lanao region and began a ten day search for hidden fortunes. Their contact, a Maranaw (Maranao) Tribesmen, arrived with two other Maranaw to pick the six men up at the hotel. Telling the group that they would be going to inspect a site in the municipalities of Lala and Maranding, in the neighboring province of Lanao del Sur, they were instead led to the southern shores of Lake Lanao, which just happens to be equivalent to wearing a t-shirt that says "Kidnap Me NOW!!!" When the three Koreans failed to return to their hotel by October 31st, concerned staff reported the men as missing. After that it didn't take long to piece together what had transpired. On November 5th the kidnappers contacted family members of the Koreans using their captives' cellphones. Because the primary cellphone used isn't a prepaid, like 90% of Philippine cellphones, the Korean Government was able to ascertain the general location of the kidnappers, if not the captives themselves. The calls were generated from that same southshore location on Lake Lanao. Opening negotiations with the kidnappers' negotiator, none other than the former Mayor of the municipality of Salvador, Jhonny [sic] Tawan-Tawan. Not to be confused with the aforementioned municipality of "El Salvador," this particular town is located on the borders of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte Provinces.
ridiculous sum of P50 Million ($1 Million), cellphone extrapolation revealed that Tawan-Tawan was working for a KFR organisation led by a sub- commander of the 101 Base Command, BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces- as the armed wing of the MILF is known, "Kumander Pogi" (no word as of yet as to whether or not the "Kumamder" will accept a ransom of "Pogi Points" in lieu of cash).
Co-incidentally, the last foreigner kidnapped in that particular area, an American, Sam Milton Taylor, had also been after treasure. His ordeal began on January 11th, 2011 and ended on April 13th, after a hefty ransom changed hands.
Moreover, the last known Korean kidnapping case ALSO involved a would be treasure hunter. 55 year old Yung Oh had arrived in Zamboanga City's Barangay Lanzones in February of 2010 and promptly applied for permits to excavate a large tract of private property. Mindanao being what it is, this led to Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander Saddam Parad, younger brother of the late Abu Sayyaf factional leader Kumander Albader Parad, casing Oh. Having arrived in the barangay with six Abu Sayyaf guerillas, local villagers alerted the CPO, or City Police Office, which in turn forced a reluctant Mr.Oh to finally leave Mindanao in May of that year, to avoid becoming yet another statistic.
In 2002, another Korean treasure hunter, Yoon Jae Keun DID become a statistic. On February 6th of that year he and Filipino hotel owner, Carlos Belonio, began searching in the municipality of Maitum's Barangay Malisbong, in Sarangani Province, though they weren't looking for precious metal. Like the murdered victim in my recent entry, "Kidnapping for Ransom in the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VIII," Dominador Mendoza Berdin, they were trying to grave rob antiquities out of caves.
The now defunct insurgent group Abu Sofia, under its leader its now deceased founder, Kumander Bedis "Bedz" Binago, grabbed the two, threw them into a motor banca, the local term for a motorised skiff and took them into captivity in the municipality of Palembang in the adjacent province of Sultan Kudarat, the Abu Sofia enclave. They were then sold to the BIAF's 109 Base Command, a faction led by Kumander Bedz' brother, sub-Kumander Abdulrahman "Bedz" Binago. While Carlos Belonio was released early on without a ransom (in order to help arrange the ransom of Mr.Yoon), Mr.Yoon ended up being released in July of that year after more than five months in captivity. Interestingly he was privy to much of the ransom negotiations. When the 109 Base Command was ready to release him in exchange for a very modest ransom the Mayor of Palembang, Labualas Mamansual, ended up telling the kidnappers not to settle for less than $300,000, the equivalent of P15 Million. This is why noone should ever rely on the authorities if and when a loved one is kidnapped.
With such a large and upwardly mobile population it only serves that South Koreans would be finding themselves victimised by predatory organisations, both KFR, or, Kidnap for Ransom, as well as extortion outfits dealing in protection rackets involving the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) to BI (Burea of Immigration).
Therefore it should come as no suprise that South Koreans end up being kidnapped from time to time. The latest incident revolves around three South Koreans:
1) Kim Nam Doo, age 48
2) Woo Seok Bung, age 60
3) Choi In Soo, age 53
who are reputed to be "Treasure Hunters" although the local media- what little attention has been offered- refer to the three as "Mining Inspectors." Treasure Hunters are the gullible souls who fall prey to stories about primitive tribesmen discovering hordes of precious metal or alternatively, crates of Bearer Bonds, et cetera, OR, fleeing Japanese soldiers secreting war booty that has somehow come to light. The tribesmen, being primitive, have no realisation of the value of the find and are, for example, willing to part with something worth 20 Million Pesos for a mere 1 Million Pesos. I suppose that in the days before the internet existed one could understand how people could repeatedly keep getting into such messes but in this day and age, with the literally hundreds of reports on such cases that at the very best end with a simple strong armed robbery, it defies basic logic and common sense and yet, as we see, it never stops.
The three men checked into the Miami Inn Hotel in Cagayan del Oro City in Misamis Oriental Province on October 20th, 2011 and soon met with three local "partners" whom they had met online:
1) Junie Ongie, of El Salvador, a municipality on that same province, Misamis Oriental
2) Nestor Modejar, of Barobo, in Surigao del Sur Province
and the third man, a reputed "mining engineer" from the municipality of Parang, in Maguindanao Province.
The six men then contracted the services of a guide from the Lake Lanao region and began a ten day search for hidden fortunes. Their contact, a Maranaw (Maranao) Tribesmen, arrived with two other Maranaw to pick the six men up at the hotel. Telling the group that they would be going to inspect a site in the municipalities of Lala and Maranding, in the neighboring province of Lanao del Sur, they were instead led to the southern shores of Lake Lanao, which just happens to be equivalent to wearing a t-shirt that says "Kidnap Me NOW!!!" When the three Koreans failed to return to their hotel by October 31st, concerned staff reported the men as missing. After that it didn't take long to piece together what had transpired. On November 5th the kidnappers contacted family members of the Koreans using their captives' cellphones. Because the primary cellphone used isn't a prepaid, like 90% of Philippine cellphones, the Korean Government was able to ascertain the general location of the kidnappers, if not the captives themselves. The calls were generated from that same southshore location on Lake Lanao. Opening negotiations with the kidnappers' negotiator, none other than the former Mayor of the municipality of Salvador, Jhonny [sic] Tawan-Tawan. Not to be confused with the aforementioned municipality of "El Salvador," this particular town is located on the borders of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte Provinces.
ridiculous sum of P50 Million ($1 Million), cellphone extrapolation revealed that Tawan-Tawan was working for a KFR organisation led by a sub- commander of the 101 Base Command, BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces- as the armed wing of the MILF is known, "Kumander Pogi" (no word as of yet as to whether or not the "Kumamder" will accept a ransom of "Pogi Points" in lieu of cash).
Co-incidentally, the last foreigner kidnapped in that particular area, an American, Sam Milton Taylor, had also been after treasure. His ordeal began on January 11th, 2011 and ended on April 13th, after a hefty ransom changed hands.
Moreover, the last known Korean kidnapping case ALSO involved a would be treasure hunter. 55 year old Yung Oh had arrived in Zamboanga City's Barangay Lanzones in February of 2010 and promptly applied for permits to excavate a large tract of private property. Mindanao being what it is, this led to Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander Saddam Parad, younger brother of the late Abu Sayyaf factional leader Kumander Albader Parad, casing Oh. Having arrived in the barangay with six Abu Sayyaf guerillas, local villagers alerted the CPO, or City Police Office, which in turn forced a reluctant Mr.Oh to finally leave Mindanao in May of that year, to avoid becoming yet another statistic.
In 2002, another Korean treasure hunter, Yoon Jae Keun DID become a statistic. On February 6th of that year he and Filipino hotel owner, Carlos Belonio, began searching in the municipality of Maitum's Barangay Malisbong, in Sarangani Province, though they weren't looking for precious metal. Like the murdered victim in my recent entry, "Kidnapping for Ransom in the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VIII," Dominador Mendoza Berdin, they were trying to grave rob antiquities out of caves.
The now defunct insurgent group Abu Sofia, under its leader its now deceased founder, Kumander Bedis "Bedz" Binago, grabbed the two, threw them into a motor banca, the local term for a motorised skiff and took them into captivity in the municipality of Palembang in the adjacent province of Sultan Kudarat, the Abu Sofia enclave. They were then sold to the BIAF's 109 Base Command, a faction led by Kumander Bedz' brother, sub-Kumander Abdulrahman "Bedz" Binago. While Carlos Belonio was released early on without a ransom (in order to help arrange the ransom of Mr.Yoon), Mr.Yoon ended up being released in July of that year after more than five months in captivity. Interestingly he was privy to much of the ransom negotiations. When the 109 Base Command was ready to release him in exchange for a very modest ransom the Mayor of Palembang, Labualas Mamansual, ended up telling the kidnappers not to settle for less than $300,000, the equivalent of P15 Million. This is why noone should ever rely on the authorities if and when a loved one is kidnapped.
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part IX: Romnick Jakaria "Escapes"
The July 12th, 2011 KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom of Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, her 14 year old son Kevin Erik Lunsmann and her 19 year old nephew Romnick Jakaria made headlines for a few days immediately after the incident took place, until the Government implemented a "news blackout," a euphanism for "overt censorship" over the case. As I noted in two KFR entries, "Kidnapping for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part II" and "Kidnapping for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part I," cases involving foreigners are much more important to both local authorities and the domestic media than the thrice weekly kidnappings of Filipinos. It is understandable that Western-based media sources would tebnd to focus on the kidnapping of Westerners but the Philippine Government and domestic media's obsession with foreigners is a bit more complex.
As I have noted in those two aforementioned entries, Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann was born Jerpa Usman, to a Samal tribal family on Pangapuyan, a small island technically belonging to Zamboanga City. As a young child she was whisked away to America by a missionary couple who then re-named her Gerfa Yeatts. As an adult she met and married a co-worker at a healthcare corporation, Hiko Lunsmann. Eventually the couple had a son, Kevin Erick, and settled into a rather idyllic routine in a rural Virginia sub-division, in Campbell County.
Ms.Lunsmann had longed for and dreamed of re-kindling her relationship with her birth family, still residing on a group of islands in between Basilan and Zamboanga City. Shortly after Kevin Erik was born Ms.Lunsmann followed through and re-connected with her family. Buying a large lot on Tictabon Island, part of Zamboanga City, she set about constructing a large residential compound with three spacious homes. Not understanding local mores Ms.Lunsmann became irked as more and more members of her large extended family came out of the woodwork asking for money. Not suprisingly Ms.Lunsmann closed the spigot and refused to keep doling out ever increasing sums of cash.
One of those relatives who ended up feeling slighted was her sister Alma Jakaria, who had ended up living on Mamalawi Island, administratively attached to Isabela City on Basilan. On Ms.Lunsmann's latest visit to the Philippines Ms.Jakaria and her 19 year old son Romnick Jakaria arrived at the Tictabon Island compound just two days before Gerfa and Kevin Erick were set to depart for their return trip to the US. Romnick Jakaria however, is a member of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as the military wing of the MILF is known, a guerilla in its 114 Base Command. Despite being related to Ms.Lunsmann he led a kidnapping team from the 113 Base Command, under sub-Kumander Waning Abdusalam, who until two weeks ago operated out of the municipality of Payao, in Zamboanga Sibugay Province.
Although the 114 Base Command is quite capable on its own, certain islands are within the jurisdiction of the 113 and so it was a joint operation. The 113 Base Command took its two captives, Gerfa Lunsmann and her son Kevin Erik and delivered them to a detachment of the 114 Base Command waiting in Basilan. Jakaria was of course reportedly a kidnap victim as well but just two days later was back on Mamalawi Island hanging out in the open, only heading into Basilan Proper when he received word the a composite detachment of police and soldiers were accompanying his mother Alma to Mamalawi to investigate Romnick's reported presence there.
Ms.Lunsmann was released on October 3rd, after an initial ransom payment was given to MILF representatives. Kevin Erik though remained behind in an interesting development given that most parents would opt to release their children before themselves and yet it is completely understandable given the BIAF propencity to rape female victims.
On Saturday, November 12th Romnick Jakaria had a barangay councilor, Ariel Laping, from Barangay Tubigan in the municipality of Maluso, broker his surrender to an AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines Corporal Lazo, who as a Cadre Officer commands that barangay's CAFGU detachment (CAFGU, or Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit, the primary entity in the AFP's paramilitary programme known as CAAs, or Civilian Active Auxilaries). Coporal Lazo then delivered Jakaria to an AFP garrison in Barangay Abong- Abong. The AFP then told two different stories, both of which had Jakaria as a victim. The first story had Jakaria sneaking away from his BIAF captors after they fell asleep, due to the AFP's relentless operational pursuit, "Perhaps the kidnappers were exhausted after running around..."- Colonel Ricardo Visaya, Commanding Officer of the 104th Infantry Brigade.
The second story had the AFP's Scout Rangers hounding the BIAF until they simply released Jakaria to get some rest. Suuuuuure. Meanwhile, both stories had Jakaria undergoing "questioning," as in interrogation and NOT debriefing. Kevin Erik Lunsmann remains in captivity with the 114 Base Command.
As I have noted in those two aforementioned entries, Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann was born Jerpa Usman, to a Samal tribal family on Pangapuyan, a small island technically belonging to Zamboanga City. As a young child she was whisked away to America by a missionary couple who then re-named her Gerfa Yeatts. As an adult she met and married a co-worker at a healthcare corporation, Hiko Lunsmann. Eventually the couple had a son, Kevin Erick, and settled into a rather idyllic routine in a rural Virginia sub-division, in Campbell County.
Ms.Lunsmann had longed for and dreamed of re-kindling her relationship with her birth family, still residing on a group of islands in between Basilan and Zamboanga City. Shortly after Kevin Erik was born Ms.Lunsmann followed through and re-connected with her family. Buying a large lot on Tictabon Island, part of Zamboanga City, she set about constructing a large residential compound with three spacious homes. Not understanding local mores Ms.Lunsmann became irked as more and more members of her large extended family came out of the woodwork asking for money. Not suprisingly Ms.Lunsmann closed the spigot and refused to keep doling out ever increasing sums of cash.
One of those relatives who ended up feeling slighted was her sister Alma Jakaria, who had ended up living on Mamalawi Island, administratively attached to Isabela City on Basilan. On Ms.Lunsmann's latest visit to the Philippines Ms.Jakaria and her 19 year old son Romnick Jakaria arrived at the Tictabon Island compound just two days before Gerfa and Kevin Erick were set to depart for their return trip to the US. Romnick Jakaria however, is a member of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as the military wing of the MILF is known, a guerilla in its 114 Base Command. Despite being related to Ms.Lunsmann he led a kidnapping team from the 113 Base Command, under sub-Kumander Waning Abdusalam, who until two weeks ago operated out of the municipality of Payao, in Zamboanga Sibugay Province.
Although the 114 Base Command is quite capable on its own, certain islands are within the jurisdiction of the 113 and so it was a joint operation. The 113 Base Command took its two captives, Gerfa Lunsmann and her son Kevin Erik and delivered them to a detachment of the 114 Base Command waiting in Basilan. Jakaria was of course reportedly a kidnap victim as well but just two days later was back on Mamalawi Island hanging out in the open, only heading into Basilan Proper when he received word the a composite detachment of police and soldiers were accompanying his mother Alma to Mamalawi to investigate Romnick's reported presence there.
Ms.Lunsmann was released on October 3rd, after an initial ransom payment was given to MILF representatives. Kevin Erik though remained behind in an interesting development given that most parents would opt to release their children before themselves and yet it is completely understandable given the BIAF propencity to rape female victims.
On Saturday, November 12th Romnick Jakaria had a barangay councilor, Ariel Laping, from Barangay Tubigan in the municipality of Maluso, broker his surrender to an AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines Corporal Lazo, who as a Cadre Officer commands that barangay's CAFGU detachment (CAFGU, or Civilian Armed Force Geographical Unit, the primary entity in the AFP's paramilitary programme known as CAAs, or Civilian Active Auxilaries). Coporal Lazo then delivered Jakaria to an AFP garrison in Barangay Abong- Abong. The AFP then told two different stories, both of which had Jakaria as a victim. The first story had Jakaria sneaking away from his BIAF captors after they fell asleep, due to the AFP's relentless operational pursuit, "Perhaps the kidnappers were exhausted after running around..."- Colonel Ricardo Visaya, Commanding Officer of the 104th Infantry Brigade.
The second story had the AFP's Scout Rangers hounding the BIAF until they simply released Jakaria to get some rest. Suuuuuure. Meanwhile, both stories had Jakaria undergoing "questioning," as in interrogation and NOT debriefing. Kevin Erik Lunsmann remains in captivity with the 114 Base Command.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part VII: Johanna Rachel de Assis
Butuan City, in Agusan del Norte Province, is the Regional Capital of Caraga, the name attached to Region 13 to showcase that region's Bisaya character. When the Spanish first arrived on Mindanao the Karaga, a Bisaya Tribe, were the strongest tribe on Mindanao's eastern coast. When people, including- sadly, most Filipinos- think of Mindanao they picture it as being a "Muslim island" with a contentious Christian minority who are recent arrivals. In fact, when Magellan arrived and said the first Mass in the Philippines he did so on Mindanao, at Butuan. Ironic indeed. Butuanons, Suriganons, Karagons, Misami and Dapitan (Bo'ol) were all Bisaya Tribes who, unlike the Islamicised Maguindanowan (Maguindanoan) and Maranaw (Maranaon) Tribes who at best trace their known history to the 16th Centuries, the Butuanon had established an embassy in China almost 1,000 years before the first Muslim began converting Animist Tribes who would one day become the Maguindanaw, and much later the Maranaw.
Why does this matter in a KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom post? The Caraga Region of Mindanao is a very different cultural and historical landscape than the Mindanao of most people's mind's eye. KFR, endemic in Central and Western Mindanao is relatively rare in Caraga. With only two notable exceptions in the last three years the kidnappings that have taken place there have remain unpublicised (like the rash of Tsinoy KFRs in Surigao City in the 2010 Election Season) or else have not been KFR at all. Usually, paramilitary soldiers, Lumads (Animist Hilltribesmen) will take a few Government representatives at gunpoint to try and forestall an unfavourable political or judicial decision. Of the conventional KFR variety, probably the "Johnson Cuiting" KFR is the one best remembered; on Janurary 7th, 2009 Johnson Cuiting was waylaid by four masked gunmen as he and his wife Doctor Bliss Digal Cuiting entered their residential compound in Surigao City's Ceniza Heights sub-division. Forcing the Cuitings into their home where two Patient Care Attendants were tending to his elderly and infirm mother Candida Custodio Cuiting, two of the Tagalog speaking gunmen began rifling the home, looking for valuables while a third trained his 45 caliber pistol on the four people in the home's "sala," or living room. The fourth man had divested Mr.Cuiting of his car keys and was outside having started Cuiting's white Toyota Hi-Lux pickup truck.
Having found P500,000 ($12,000) in jewlery and roughly P400,000 ($9,500) in cash (plus assirted cell phones and Johnson's 40 caliber pistol) the two men searching the home re-entered the sala and told the gunmen guarding the "captives" that it was time to go. Ordering Mr.Cuiting outside the house as the two Patient Care Attendants tried to retain their composure (the elder Mrs. Cuiting was 89 years old and perhaps fortunately was senile). Their quarry now inside his own pickup truck the gunmen joined him as they left the Cuiting compound and drove off into the night.
Quickly, Mr.Cuiting's sister Josefa "Sef" Cuiting Lam flew into Butuan Airport from her home in Hong Kong. As the eldest sibling she felt it was her duty to handle the crisis. This traditional outlook didn't sit well with Mr.Cuiting's wife who felt shunted aside and ignored in the subsequent proceedings. KFR being extremely rare in the region and the kidnapping having been witnessed by the two Patient Care Attendants it was only a matter of time before the world at large found out about the incident. Taking a proactive stance eldest sister Josefa contacted the PPO, or Police Provincial Office and confirmed what the department already knew but made it quite clear that the police would not be needed and that the family would still keep the department appraised of events as they unfolded.
Johnsing Cuiting served as the President of Rural Bank of Placer, a Surigao del Norte financial institution founded by family matriarch Candida Custodio Cuiting, Johnson's mother. Very wealthy, the Tsinoy, or Filipino of Chinese descent was very well known within both the Tsinoy and business communities in Caraga but still, KFR being almost unheard of, tongues didn't take long to start wagging. As progress in ransom negotiations hit an impasse the kidnappers suddenly broke all contact, or so almost everyone thought. When Josefa, who had assumed the lead negotiating role began whittling down the kidnappers' opening gambit of P10 Million ($240,000) the kidnappers' phone calls suddenly stopped, on Janurary 21st, twelve days after the kidnapping. When Josefa tried contacting the kidnappers at the one phone number she had been given, that of Johnson's own cellphone, she found that the number was no longer in service. Greatly alarmed, Josefa's trepidation would be nothing like the angst she experienced months later when the true circumstances of the phone number being disconnected came to light.
At this point Josefa pulled out all the stops and gathered P6 Million ($140,000), the last ransom demand, using P3 Million of her own money, and let it be known that the family had decided to give in to that last ransom demand. Unfortunately for the Cuiting Family no contact has ever been re-initiated. Conventional wisdom dictates that Johnson Cuiting was done in by his own family. In-fighting over familial roles in Rural Bank and general anomosity towards Mr.Cuiting's wife, Doctor Bliss Digal Cuiting are believed to have led to an inside job. In investigating the mysterious disconnection of Johnson Cuiting's own cellphone Josefa's security consultants discovered a curious, and VERY alarming twist. The cellular account, with the Philippine carrier Globe, had been intentionally disconnected five days after the kidnapping by none other than Johnson's own wife, Doctor Bliss. Moreover, not only would Bliss not reveal her reasons in cutting all contact with her husbands' kidnappers, neither would she explain just why she had never admitted having had it disconnected in the first place. Naturally, when the phone was suddenly cut off five days into the kidnapping it drove the family crazy and yet Bliss never said a word, acting just as perplexed as the rest. Some have reasoned that perhaps she did it just to spite Josefa who had elbowed her out of the lead role as the family representative but that doesn't go far in rationalising just why she would remove her husband's only real chance at release. In cutting off that phone she very well may have been signing Johnson Cuiting's death warrant. An even stranger consideration was then brought to light, one that had slipped right past most family members.
Hours after being kidnapped Johnson was permitted to contact a family member to initiate the ransom negotiation process. Knowing that his wife had been in the house, wouldn't Johnson be concerned for her welfare first and contact her? Wouldn't he want his wife making preparations for a ransom since she was the person obstensibly closest to him? Instead Johnson called his sister Josefa in Hong Kong. When the news that Johnson's wife had inexplicably shut Johnson's cellular phone service off came to light people then recalled that Johnson hadn't called his wife. Indeed, after phoning Josefa, Johnson then called his driver, "Dondong," and instructed him to proceed to Surigao City's Barangay Silot to retrieve his Toyota Hi Lux. Having enough fore thought and presence of mind to even call his driver over his pickup truck and still NOT placing a call to his own wife? To say that the circumstances set off alarm bells is to seriously understate the gravity of the situation.
Then, a curious case of turf battling slash infighting took place within the PNP (Philippine National Police). Above CPOs and MPOs (City Police Offices and Municipal Police Offices) are the PPO, or Police Provincial Office. Above the PPO is the PRO, or Police Regional Office. The Surigao del Norte PPO Director at the time, Superintendent David Yolang Ombao became convinced relatively early on that the kidnapping of Johnson Cuiting was tied into PRO-13, or the Police Regional Office for Region 13, aka "Caraga." PRO-13 is technically Ombao's immediate superior. All determinations on such a high profile case are at least rubber stamped by PRO-13 but in this case Director Ombao refused to pass even a single photocopy to PRP and its directly subservient bureaus, such as CIDG-13 (Criminal Investigations and Detection Group for Region 13). Instead, Ombao passed them directly on to PACER, or the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response entity. The preceding seems like a lot of yawn inducing mumbo jumo to most readers, I know, but it says a whole lot about the serious implications related to this kidnapping and by now, certainly a murder as well.
While there are clear indications as to WHO perpetrated the kidnapping slash murder, why Mr.Cuiting was killed, or perhaps why he was killed so soon however remains unknown. Most police working on the case conjecture that Mr.Cuiting had let his captors know that he had surmised familial involvement in his kidnapping. Then, fearful of the ramifications his "loved one(s)" had him killed. Josefa made it a point to bring in extra security consultants to try and "solve" the whole sordid affair but again, nothing of import has ever come to the surface. The particular family member certainly seems to be the wife, obstensibly the widow, Doctor Bliss. Less than a month after her husband's disappearance Bliss moved to have herself named OIC (Officer in Charge) at Rural Bank, thereby assuming her husbands duties as President. At the same time, one of Johnsons five sisters, Nenita "Nitz" Cuiting Carvajal moved to have herself named instead. Interestingly, Nenita's own husband, Jose Antonio "Tonette" Carvajal was murdered outside their front door, as was his brother who had been leading the investigation into Tonette's death. Dr.Bliss and her camp claim that it was Nenita who had both killed, ergo Nenita who had Johnson killed in a power play for Rural Bank. A regular soap opera as one can plainly see.
So, even when a KFR takes place in Caraga it is usually not the conventional KFR one finds in the rest of the island. Indeed the case I am concentrating on in this entry is also believed to have been an inside job. At 1AM on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011, Percy De Assis and her 14 year old daughter Johanna Rachel De Assis were asleep in their home in the Emily Homes sub-division in Butuan City's Barangay Libertad when a single masked gunmen kicked in their front door. Startling mother and daughter out of their deep sleep he marched both into the home's sala and demanded P20,000 ($420) that he claimed was "owed" to him. As the gunman rambled on almost incoherently he impetuously waved a 38 caliber revolver as he grew more and more irate. Suprisingly Percy De Assis raised her own voice and told the gunman that he wouldn't be getting a single centavo. Grabbing Johanna Rachel he told Ms.De Assis that he would be calling her in the morning to collect his money. Taking Percy's Toyota Corolla the gunman, Rachel in tow, now became a kidnapper as well as he sped off into the night with his captive.
Having been notified by the De Assis' maid the Butuan City CPO (City Police Office) dispatched officers from Police Station #3 to the family home as Percy admitted that indeed she did know the identity of the kidnapper despite his having worn a "bonnet," as skimasks are locally known. He was a recently released employee of the De Assis' owned medical supply and generic pharmaceutical distributorship. Because the man had been fired for a range of offences he wasn't entitled to the usual severance package. The denial of P20,000 in cash may have cost her 14 year old daighter her life. Ms.De Assis thanked the police for their prompt attention but told them that she preferred to simply pay off the employee and quickly secure the safe return of her daughter.
Just after 7AM Percy De Assis received a phone call from the ex-employee in which he quickly passed the phone to Rachel in an impromptu POL, or Peoof of Life, a standard facet in KFR in which kidnappers provide proof that theit captive is still alive. Quickly Ms.De Assis told the man that she would pay the man his P20,000 to gain the safe release of her daughter. Angrily the man informed Percy that his price had gone up commensurate to the increased seriousness of the situation. Ms.De Assis interjected that all she could possibly do is provide P100,000 ($2,100), anything else would take at least a few days. After a few moments of silence the gunman agreed and directed Percy to deliver the cash in a sealed plastic bag on the side of National Hiway in the nearby barangay of Bancasi. After he had retrieved the cash he would inform her of her daughter's whereabouts so that she could safely retrieve Johanna Rachel.
After convincing the incredulous police that she must do the ransom delivery on her own and without any police backup she proceeded to Barangay Bancasi and as instructed left the cash on the side of National Hiway before quickly driving away. Despite Percy's insistence the police HAD followed her and were watching in binoculars as the gunman approached the drop off site on foot and retrieved the bag. Quickly the police arrested the man and after some on the spot interrogation, I mean torture, I mean interrogation the hapless ex-employee revealed that he had left Johanna Rachel De Assis in the Chinese Cemetery in that same barangay, Bancasi. Retrieving the frightened victim they delivered Johanna Rachel to her mother although they only informed Ms.De Assis that they had discovered the girl by chance and still haven't located the kidnapper or the P100,000. The money of course became a gratuity and the hapless kidnapper became crocodile food and so another sordid Mindanowan kidnapping came to an end. All in all 14 year old Rachel, a first year student in Father Saturnino Urios College fared rather well and aside from missing a day of school is well on her way to forgetting the whole ordeal.
Why does this matter in a KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom post? The Caraga Region of Mindanao is a very different cultural and historical landscape than the Mindanao of most people's mind's eye. KFR, endemic in Central and Western Mindanao is relatively rare in Caraga. With only two notable exceptions in the last three years the kidnappings that have taken place there have remain unpublicised (like the rash of Tsinoy KFRs in Surigao City in the 2010 Election Season) or else have not been KFR at all. Usually, paramilitary soldiers, Lumads (Animist Hilltribesmen) will take a few Government representatives at gunpoint to try and forestall an unfavourable political or judicial decision. Of the conventional KFR variety, probably the "Johnson Cuiting" KFR is the one best remembered; on Janurary 7th, 2009 Johnson Cuiting was waylaid by four masked gunmen as he and his wife Doctor Bliss Digal Cuiting entered their residential compound in Surigao City's Ceniza Heights sub-division. Forcing the Cuitings into their home where two Patient Care Attendants were tending to his elderly and infirm mother Candida Custodio Cuiting, two of the Tagalog speaking gunmen began rifling the home, looking for valuables while a third trained his 45 caliber pistol on the four people in the home's "sala," or living room. The fourth man had divested Mr.Cuiting of his car keys and was outside having started Cuiting's white Toyota Hi-Lux pickup truck.
Having found P500,000 ($12,000) in jewlery and roughly P400,000 ($9,500) in cash (plus assirted cell phones and Johnson's 40 caliber pistol) the two men searching the home re-entered the sala and told the gunmen guarding the "captives" that it was time to go. Ordering Mr.Cuiting outside the house as the two Patient Care Attendants tried to retain their composure (the elder Mrs. Cuiting was 89 years old and perhaps fortunately was senile). Their quarry now inside his own pickup truck the gunmen joined him as they left the Cuiting compound and drove off into the night.
Quickly, Mr.Cuiting's sister Josefa "Sef" Cuiting Lam flew into Butuan Airport from her home in Hong Kong. As the eldest sibling she felt it was her duty to handle the crisis. This traditional outlook didn't sit well with Mr.Cuiting's wife who felt shunted aside and ignored in the subsequent proceedings. KFR being extremely rare in the region and the kidnapping having been witnessed by the two Patient Care Attendants it was only a matter of time before the world at large found out about the incident. Taking a proactive stance eldest sister Josefa contacted the PPO, or Police Provincial Office and confirmed what the department already knew but made it quite clear that the police would not be needed and that the family would still keep the department appraised of events as they unfolded.
Johnsing Cuiting served as the President of Rural Bank of Placer, a Surigao del Norte financial institution founded by family matriarch Candida Custodio Cuiting, Johnson's mother. Very wealthy, the Tsinoy, or Filipino of Chinese descent was very well known within both the Tsinoy and business communities in Caraga but still, KFR being almost unheard of, tongues didn't take long to start wagging. As progress in ransom negotiations hit an impasse the kidnappers suddenly broke all contact, or so almost everyone thought. When Josefa, who had assumed the lead negotiating role began whittling down the kidnappers' opening gambit of P10 Million ($240,000) the kidnappers' phone calls suddenly stopped, on Janurary 21st, twelve days after the kidnapping. When Josefa tried contacting the kidnappers at the one phone number she had been given, that of Johnson's own cellphone, she found that the number was no longer in service. Greatly alarmed, Josefa's trepidation would be nothing like the angst she experienced months later when the true circumstances of the phone number being disconnected came to light.
At this point Josefa pulled out all the stops and gathered P6 Million ($140,000), the last ransom demand, using P3 Million of her own money, and let it be known that the family had decided to give in to that last ransom demand. Unfortunately for the Cuiting Family no contact has ever been re-initiated. Conventional wisdom dictates that Johnson Cuiting was done in by his own family. In-fighting over familial roles in Rural Bank and general anomosity towards Mr.Cuiting's wife, Doctor Bliss Digal Cuiting are believed to have led to an inside job. In investigating the mysterious disconnection of Johnson Cuiting's own cellphone Josefa's security consultants discovered a curious, and VERY alarming twist. The cellular account, with the Philippine carrier Globe, had been intentionally disconnected five days after the kidnapping by none other than Johnson's own wife, Doctor Bliss. Moreover, not only would Bliss not reveal her reasons in cutting all contact with her husbands' kidnappers, neither would she explain just why she had never admitted having had it disconnected in the first place. Naturally, when the phone was suddenly cut off five days into the kidnapping it drove the family crazy and yet Bliss never said a word, acting just as perplexed as the rest. Some have reasoned that perhaps she did it just to spite Josefa who had elbowed her out of the lead role as the family representative but that doesn't go far in rationalising just why she would remove her husband's only real chance at release. In cutting off that phone she very well may have been signing Johnson Cuiting's death warrant. An even stranger consideration was then brought to light, one that had slipped right past most family members.
Hours after being kidnapped Johnson was permitted to contact a family member to initiate the ransom negotiation process. Knowing that his wife had been in the house, wouldn't Johnson be concerned for her welfare first and contact her? Wouldn't he want his wife making preparations for a ransom since she was the person obstensibly closest to him? Instead Johnson called his sister Josefa in Hong Kong. When the news that Johnson's wife had inexplicably shut Johnson's cellular phone service off came to light people then recalled that Johnson hadn't called his wife. Indeed, after phoning Josefa, Johnson then called his driver, "Dondong," and instructed him to proceed to Surigao City's Barangay Silot to retrieve his Toyota Hi Lux. Having enough fore thought and presence of mind to even call his driver over his pickup truck and still NOT placing a call to his own wife? To say that the circumstances set off alarm bells is to seriously understate the gravity of the situation.
Then, a curious case of turf battling slash infighting took place within the PNP (Philippine National Police). Above CPOs and MPOs (City Police Offices and Municipal Police Offices) are the PPO, or Police Provincial Office. Above the PPO is the PRO, or Police Regional Office. The Surigao del Norte PPO Director at the time, Superintendent David Yolang Ombao became convinced relatively early on that the kidnapping of Johnson Cuiting was tied into PRO-13, or the Police Regional Office for Region 13, aka "Caraga." PRO-13 is technically Ombao's immediate superior. All determinations on such a high profile case are at least rubber stamped by PRO-13 but in this case Director Ombao refused to pass even a single photocopy to PRP and its directly subservient bureaus, such as CIDG-13 (Criminal Investigations and Detection Group for Region 13). Instead, Ombao passed them directly on to PACER, or the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response entity. The preceding seems like a lot of yawn inducing mumbo jumo to most readers, I know, but it says a whole lot about the serious implications related to this kidnapping and by now, certainly a murder as well.
While there are clear indications as to WHO perpetrated the kidnapping slash murder, why Mr.Cuiting was killed, or perhaps why he was killed so soon however remains unknown. Most police working on the case conjecture that Mr.Cuiting had let his captors know that he had surmised familial involvement in his kidnapping. Then, fearful of the ramifications his "loved one(s)" had him killed. Josefa made it a point to bring in extra security consultants to try and "solve" the whole sordid affair but again, nothing of import has ever come to the surface. The particular family member certainly seems to be the wife, obstensibly the widow, Doctor Bliss. Less than a month after her husband's disappearance Bliss moved to have herself named OIC (Officer in Charge) at Rural Bank, thereby assuming her husbands duties as President. At the same time, one of Johnsons five sisters, Nenita "Nitz" Cuiting Carvajal moved to have herself named instead. Interestingly, Nenita's own husband, Jose Antonio "Tonette" Carvajal was murdered outside their front door, as was his brother who had been leading the investigation into Tonette's death. Dr.Bliss and her camp claim that it was Nenita who had both killed, ergo Nenita who had Johnson killed in a power play for Rural Bank. A regular soap opera as one can plainly see.
So, even when a KFR takes place in Caraga it is usually not the conventional KFR one finds in the rest of the island. Indeed the case I am concentrating on in this entry is also believed to have been an inside job. At 1AM on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011, Percy De Assis and her 14 year old daughter Johanna Rachel De Assis were asleep in their home in the Emily Homes sub-division in Butuan City's Barangay Libertad when a single masked gunmen kicked in their front door. Startling mother and daughter out of their deep sleep he marched both into the home's sala and demanded P20,000 ($420) that he claimed was "owed" to him. As the gunman rambled on almost incoherently he impetuously waved a 38 caliber revolver as he grew more and more irate. Suprisingly Percy De Assis raised her own voice and told the gunman that he wouldn't be getting a single centavo. Grabbing Johanna Rachel he told Ms.De Assis that he would be calling her in the morning to collect his money. Taking Percy's Toyota Corolla the gunman, Rachel in tow, now became a kidnapper as well as he sped off into the night with his captive.
Having been notified by the De Assis' maid the Butuan City CPO (City Police Office) dispatched officers from Police Station #3 to the family home as Percy admitted that indeed she did know the identity of the kidnapper despite his having worn a "bonnet," as skimasks are locally known. He was a recently released employee of the De Assis' owned medical supply and generic pharmaceutical distributorship. Because the man had been fired for a range of offences he wasn't entitled to the usual severance package. The denial of P20,000 in cash may have cost her 14 year old daighter her life. Ms.De Assis thanked the police for their prompt attention but told them that she preferred to simply pay off the employee and quickly secure the safe return of her daughter.
Just after 7AM Percy De Assis received a phone call from the ex-employee in which he quickly passed the phone to Rachel in an impromptu POL, or Peoof of Life, a standard facet in KFR in which kidnappers provide proof that theit captive is still alive. Quickly Ms.De Assis told the man that she would pay the man his P20,000 to gain the safe release of her daughter. Angrily the man informed Percy that his price had gone up commensurate to the increased seriousness of the situation. Ms.De Assis interjected that all she could possibly do is provide P100,000 ($2,100), anything else would take at least a few days. After a few moments of silence the gunman agreed and directed Percy to deliver the cash in a sealed plastic bag on the side of National Hiway in the nearby barangay of Bancasi. After he had retrieved the cash he would inform her of her daughter's whereabouts so that she could safely retrieve Johanna Rachel.
After convincing the incredulous police that she must do the ransom delivery on her own and without any police backup she proceeded to Barangay Bancasi and as instructed left the cash on the side of National Hiway before quickly driving away. Despite Percy's insistence the police HAD followed her and were watching in binoculars as the gunman approached the drop off site on foot and retrieved the bag. Quickly the police arrested the man and after some on the spot interrogation, I mean torture, I mean interrogation the hapless ex-employee revealed that he had left Johanna Rachel De Assis in the Chinese Cemetery in that same barangay, Bancasi. Retrieving the frightened victim they delivered Johanna Rachel to her mother although they only informed Ms.De Assis that they had discovered the girl by chance and still haven't located the kidnapper or the P100,000. The money of course became a gratuity and the hapless kidnapper became crocodile food and so another sordid Mindanowan kidnapping came to an end. All in all 14 year old Rachel, a first year student in Father Saturnino Urios College fared rather well and aside from missing a day of school is well on her way to forgetting the whole ordeal.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the 4th Quarter of 2011, Part VI: Dave Anthony Jaime Chiu
On Monday, October 17th, 2011, at 230PM, 5 year old Dave Anthony Jaime Chiu finished his kindergarten class for the day at Davao City's Matina Central Elementary School in Talomo District's Barangay Matina and exited the building to wait for his father to pick him up. Standing in front of his school young Dave Anthony was approached by a stranger who told the young boy that his father was busy at the family resturant and catering business, Sunnypoint Function Plaza on Ma-a Road in Barangay Ma-a and so he had been sent to pickup Dave Anthony from school. Having never been properly taught by his parents not to go with strangers the little boy complied snd followed the man to an idling black motorcyle whose driver had been impatiently revving his engine and in doing so inadvertently attracted attention so that numerous people witnessed a man helping a little boy onto the motorcycle, behind the driver, and continued watching as the same man climbed aboard himself, in back of the little boy. Together they drove off into the afternoon traffic.
Just after the three had disappeared into Davao City Richard Chiu arrived at the school only to discover that his son was nowhere to be found. First checking with the school's staff who were at a loss to explain the boy's disappearance Mr.Chiu soon found his intial confusion had turned to horror and then very quickly into abject terror. Not knowing just what to do he continued roaming inside and outside school. After quickly confirming his worst fears and still in a state of shock Mr.Chiu hurried back to his SUV for the unbearably long drive to the nearest CPO, or City Police Office. It was just as he pulled up to the Talomo Police sub-station that his cellphone behan ringing loudly. The voice on the other end confirmed the distraught father's nagging fear that indeed his 5 year old son had been kidnapped.
Like many living in Davao City the Chiu family lulled itself into a false sense of security. Though Tsinoy (Filipino of Chinese descent) and living relatively close to Cotabato City where Tsinoy are kidnapped quite frequently the Chius believed that by living in Davao City they were invulnerable to such things. Local warlord, Rodrigo "Roddy" Duterte who is now serving as the city's Vice Mayor while his daughter Sarah "Inday" Duterte Carpio keeps his mayoral throne warm for the requisite three year interim between nine year term limits gives the phrase "tough on crime" new meaning. His unabashed dispensation of violence to those he has deemed "criminal" or "corrupt" has made him a Mindanowan icon and raised his profile to the national level.
Unfortunately Vice Mayor Duterte has been less than circumspect in his application of violence. As I have noted in my "Political Development" entries Duterte, who frequently tours his huge city under the cover of darkness atop his extremely large Harley Davidson motorcycle, amidst a pack of security escorts, police and soldiers on their own motorcycles, as if he is some sort of Pinoy "Hells Angel" kicking as* and taking names. Whether it is pistol whipping a 14 year old for breaking the curfew he himself imposed or chasing after a hapless jeepney driver who dared to drive 10 km/h over Duterte's uni-laterally imposed speed limit so as to slap a man old enough to be his father you can rest assured that the city of Davao will remain safe for at least another day.
The flipside to Duterte's almost psycopathic application of violence is that the crime in Davao City is extremely low in relative terms. The ideal ratio of police for citizens for example, is one uniformed officer for every 500 citizens. Davao City has one officer for every 1,400 citizens and that is its overall manpower and not just its uniformed presence so that the actual ratio is roughly one uniformed police officer for every 2,200 citizens and yet the city has, as noted, an extremely low crime index.
In terms of KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, aside from the case I am discussing in this entry the city hasn't endured a kidnapping since the late-1990s, or so Vice Mayor Duterte would have the world imagine. There have been staged, or faked kidnappings, such as those by German national Fier Medricat and Catherine Graciela Manalo, two separate cases I have discussed in previous KFR entries (Second Quarter of 2010 and the Second Quarter of 2011 respectively), but there have also been bonafide KFRs that take place much more often than anyone imagines. Two brief examples being:
1) Jerry Jimenez, Supervisor for the Davao Branch of the Solid Shipping Lines Corporation located in Davao City's Barangay Tibunco. The firm, a domestic intra-island freight carrier with nine medium sozed freighters between Manila and Mindanao apparently attracted the attention of a homegrown KFR organisation. The group, led by the now imprisoned Willy Estribor barged into the Jimemez home in the city's Insular Village Subdivision, on JP Laurel Avenue at 1AM on February 5th, 2010. After rudely awakening Jimenez and his wife the two were forced to dress themselves at gunpoint after which they were led out to a waiting SUV which carried them into incognito. On February 11th Mr.Jimenez and his wife were released none the worse for the wear after Solid Shipping Lines forked over a healthy P3 Million in cash ($66,000). Immediately after their release the couple moved to the United States as Mr.Jiminez quit his job.
2) Local Tsinoy business magnate Benito Ong was grabbed on Monday, June 22nd, 2010, as he was just about to enter his buisness headquarters in the city's Barangay Obrero 12 in District. At gunpoint Mr.Ong was bundled into an idling minivan and was quickly driven into captivity. Quickly contacting family members his non-negotiated ransom of P5 Million ($110,000) was delivered by 1PM that same day and Mr.Ong was able to enjoy a late supper with his family that very evening after being released at 7PM, known in the trade as an "Express KFR."
Indeed, in the last days of September, 2011, the Chiu family matriarch, 57 year Elena Chiu was herself victimised in a commercial burglary when two of her adjoining businesses in the city's Barangay 76A (Bucana) in Talomo District, the Five R Pawnshop and the Lailai Travel and Tour of Davao agency were broken into by what appears to be a highly organised group. Using an adjacent commercial space undergoing renovation as a staging point they simply removed an airconditioning unit and then widened the space with sledge hammers. Once inside the thieves helped themselves to the relatively minor sum of P200,000 ($4,300). Even with this wakeup call the Chius continued sleep walking through their routube, ergo young Dave Anthony being kidnapped.
The caller instructed Mr.Chiu not to contact the authorities and not to lose his cell phone because they would be contacting him again shortly with their demands. Making his second huge mistake Mr.Chiu hung up the phone and promptly entered the police substation to report his son's abduction. If there is one thing one should never do it is to contact the authorities. KFR organisations are tied into local power structures. Trying to negotiate a ransom for your loved one as a police officer slash KFR group member sips coffee in your "sala" (livingroom) is never intelligent.
The next morning, Tuesday, October 18th, Vice Mayor Duterte (make no mistake, his daughter is keeping his seat warm but he still remains the power to contend with) was appraised of the situation and began keeping close tabs on the case after an initial Command Conference on the incident at lunch that day. That night at 11PM Dave Anthony's mother received the second call from the kidnappers, as Mr.Chiu sat nervously listening by speakerphone, as the kidnappers opened negotiations with an initial demand for P5 Million ($110,000). When Mrs.Chiu stammered in response the caller angrily warned her that if the family tried to unnecessarily prolong negotiations her son would be returning home minus a vital internal organ or two because they would simply sell his kidney to raise the desired funds. Quickly replying Mrs.Chiu simply explained that she was nervous just as any mother naturally would be in the same circumstances. By the time the call ended the Chius had almost effortlessly gotten the ransom lowered to the much more palatable P2 Million ($44,000), showing that whoever was holding their son was not a professional, something that counter-intuitively is far from comforting.
The next day, Wednesday, October 19th, Mr. Chiu headed downtown to the CPO Headquarters where the police discussed the previous evening's phone call and its ransom negotiations. Allowing a city police officer to pose as the family negotiator when the kidnappers made contact that afternoon Mr.Chiu ended up agreeing to make a ransom down payment of P188,000 ($3,900) and some 24 karat heirloom gold jewlery. Setting the exchange for that evening, the CPO and Vice Mayor Duterte began formulating an entrapment operation to arrest the kidnappers, recover the ransom, and most importantly, ensure 5 year old Dave Anthony Jaime Chiu's freedom.
Having watched one too many Hollywood movies the kidnappers ordered the "negotiator" to proceed to the municipality of Digos City in that same province, Davao del Sur. There the negotiator was told, he would receive another phone call instructing him to take the next step. Having no choice but to comply the entire operation moved down to Digos City. When the second phonecall came the negotiator was told to now proceed back to Davao City and wait at a location in Toril District's Barangay Sibulan. Back in Davao City now the expected third phonecall finally arrived after midnite and the negotiator was instructed to cross into the adjoining municipality of Santa Cruz and proceed to a convenience store in that town's Barangay Sibulan (both Santa Cruz and Davao City's Toril District have a Barangay Sibulan which was actually a single community that was vivisected by re-drawn municipal borders).
Arriving at the convenience store after the daylong wild goose chase, at 1AM on Thursday, October 20th, police operatives observed two motorcycles with two men riding tandem on each waiting suscpiciously. As the negotiator and Mr.Chiu made their way to the designated spot one of the motorcycles' passengers dismounted and strode over and asked if they had brought the agreed upon sum. Tenatively Mr.Chiu handed over a bag containing the cash and jewlery and as he did so he nervously asked about his son. Ignoring the question the youth replied that Mr.Chiu should go home and wait for a phonecall about the next step in negotiations. Realising that the victim wasn't on scene the police impetuously decided to arrest all four men and use them to ascertain young Dave Anthony's whereabouts.
Quickly rushing the motorcycles just as the man carrying the ransom bag approached his cohorts they managed to grab the ransom bearer but lost the other three kidnappers as the motorcycles quickly escaped at a high rate of speed. Not suprisingly the police told Richard Chiu that the ransom had unfortunately already been handed off by the ransom bearer and was therefore considered gone for good although the man was grabbed well before reaching the motorcycles. By torturing...I mean "interrogating" the ransom bearer, 18 year old Joel Reyes Moda, they were able to get the names of his three cohorts and much more importantly they were able to discover the location of Dave Anthony. Rushing to a house in that same Santa Cruz Barangay Sibulan they safely recovered the young boy who by all appearances had managed fairly well. The couple holding him told a ridiculous story that had them receiving the boy in exchange for fuel. As they told it, the evening before four men on two motorcycles had knocked on their door asking if they might buy some fuel for their motorcycles (like a fair number of people living along major thoroughfares the family in question displayed a one liter bottle containing fuel outside their home signifying that the sell it). Low on cash the men offered young Dave Anthony as collateral in exchange, with a promise to pay up and collect the boy that same night. This being Mindanao the couple hasn't been arrested, though the police continued in their hunt for the three men aboard two motorcycles.
Later that same morning, just before 12PM the CPO received a call from the MPO (Municipal Police Office, the equivalent of the CPO in towns) in the municipality of Matanao in that same province of Davao del Sur. One of the wanted motorcycles, the one with only one man, had been found parked outside a village home in Barangay Sinawilan. Proceeding to Matanao the Davao City CPO personnel assigned to the case linked up with their Matanao MPO colleagues and the combined force made their way to the house in question. There they kicked in the door and found their wanted man, 28 year old Jack Ferdinand Pala asleep on a couch. Shooting him in the face at point blank range and instantly killing him the Davao City CPO then claimed that Pala had been found while driving his motorcycle and had initiated a firefight in which he then raised his arm to throw a hand grenade necessitating a lethal response. Suuuuure. Pala was carrying an empty 38 revolver which was also held up as poof positive of his wily and dangerous ways.
Pala, of Davao City's Barangay Crossing Bagabas (Bagabas Bridge) in Toril District is an interesting character. Though nominally employed recently as a triksiad driver (almost the least expencive form of Philippine public transportation, an offroad motorcycle with an aluminum shell fitted around it with vinyl benches in front and back for fare paying passengers) he had been a gang member in his teenaged years and ended up convicted at age 20 for raping a maid in a house and his friends were burglarising. He was also convicted of the burglary, against the home of Davao City attorney Vivencio Vedallo in 2003, along with six other gang members. The gang specialised in such acts and so, though a long shot, there is always the chance that the breakin at the pawn shop and travel agency three weeks earlier may have been a related precursor to this kidnapping. With Pala lying in a pine box this will never be known.
The two remaining kidnappers in this current case remain free and will probably never be arrested if past performance of the Philippine justice system is any sort of indicator. 18 year old Joel Reyes Moda, a resident of Sitio Dona Pilar in Davao City's Barangay Sasa, in Buhangin District remains in the Davao del Sur Provincial Jail as his case begins its long and winding road.
Just after the three had disappeared into Davao City Richard Chiu arrived at the school only to discover that his son was nowhere to be found. First checking with the school's staff who were at a loss to explain the boy's disappearance Mr.Chiu soon found his intial confusion had turned to horror and then very quickly into abject terror. Not knowing just what to do he continued roaming inside and outside school. After quickly confirming his worst fears and still in a state of shock Mr.Chiu hurried back to his SUV for the unbearably long drive to the nearest CPO, or City Police Office. It was just as he pulled up to the Talomo Police sub-station that his cellphone behan ringing loudly. The voice on the other end confirmed the distraught father's nagging fear that indeed his 5 year old son had been kidnapped.
Like many living in Davao City the Chiu family lulled itself into a false sense of security. Though Tsinoy (Filipino of Chinese descent) and living relatively close to Cotabato City where Tsinoy are kidnapped quite frequently the Chius believed that by living in Davao City they were invulnerable to such things. Local warlord, Rodrigo "Roddy" Duterte who is now serving as the city's Vice Mayor while his daughter Sarah "Inday" Duterte Carpio keeps his mayoral throne warm for the requisite three year interim between nine year term limits gives the phrase "tough on crime" new meaning. His unabashed dispensation of violence to those he has deemed "criminal" or "corrupt" has made him a Mindanowan icon and raised his profile to the national level.
Unfortunately Vice Mayor Duterte has been less than circumspect in his application of violence. As I have noted in my "Political Development" entries Duterte, who frequently tours his huge city under the cover of darkness atop his extremely large Harley Davidson motorcycle, amidst a pack of security escorts, police and soldiers on their own motorcycles, as if he is some sort of Pinoy "Hells Angel" kicking as* and taking names. Whether it is pistol whipping a 14 year old for breaking the curfew he himself imposed or chasing after a hapless jeepney driver who dared to drive 10 km/h over Duterte's uni-laterally imposed speed limit so as to slap a man old enough to be his father you can rest assured that the city of Davao will remain safe for at least another day.
The flipside to Duterte's almost psycopathic application of violence is that the crime in Davao City is extremely low in relative terms. The ideal ratio of police for citizens for example, is one uniformed officer for every 500 citizens. Davao City has one officer for every 1,400 citizens and that is its overall manpower and not just its uniformed presence so that the actual ratio is roughly one uniformed police officer for every 2,200 citizens and yet the city has, as noted, an extremely low crime index.
In terms of KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, aside from the case I am discussing in this entry the city hasn't endured a kidnapping since the late-1990s, or so Vice Mayor Duterte would have the world imagine. There have been staged, or faked kidnappings, such as those by German national Fier Medricat and Catherine Graciela Manalo, two separate cases I have discussed in previous KFR entries (Second Quarter of 2010 and the Second Quarter of 2011 respectively), but there have also been bonafide KFRs that take place much more often than anyone imagines. Two brief examples being:
1) Jerry Jimenez, Supervisor for the Davao Branch of the Solid Shipping Lines Corporation located in Davao City's Barangay Tibunco. The firm, a domestic intra-island freight carrier with nine medium sozed freighters between Manila and Mindanao apparently attracted the attention of a homegrown KFR organisation. The group, led by the now imprisoned Willy Estribor barged into the Jimemez home in the city's Insular Village Subdivision, on JP Laurel Avenue at 1AM on February 5th, 2010. After rudely awakening Jimenez and his wife the two were forced to dress themselves at gunpoint after which they were led out to a waiting SUV which carried them into incognito. On February 11th Mr.Jimenez and his wife were released none the worse for the wear after Solid Shipping Lines forked over a healthy P3 Million in cash ($66,000). Immediately after their release the couple moved to the United States as Mr.Jiminez quit his job.
2) Local Tsinoy business magnate Benito Ong was grabbed on Monday, June 22nd, 2010, as he was just about to enter his buisness headquarters in the city's Barangay Obrero 12 in District. At gunpoint Mr.Ong was bundled into an idling minivan and was quickly driven into captivity. Quickly contacting family members his non-negotiated ransom of P5 Million ($110,000) was delivered by 1PM that same day and Mr.Ong was able to enjoy a late supper with his family that very evening after being released at 7PM, known in the trade as an "Express KFR."
Indeed, in the last days of September, 2011, the Chiu family matriarch, 57 year Elena Chiu was herself victimised in a commercial burglary when two of her adjoining businesses in the city's Barangay 76A (Bucana) in Talomo District, the Five R Pawnshop and the Lailai Travel and Tour of Davao agency were broken into by what appears to be a highly organised group. Using an adjacent commercial space undergoing renovation as a staging point they simply removed an airconditioning unit and then widened the space with sledge hammers. Once inside the thieves helped themselves to the relatively minor sum of P200,000 ($4,300). Even with this wakeup call the Chius continued sleep walking through their routube, ergo young Dave Anthony being kidnapped.
The caller instructed Mr.Chiu not to contact the authorities and not to lose his cell phone because they would be contacting him again shortly with their demands. Making his second huge mistake Mr.Chiu hung up the phone and promptly entered the police substation to report his son's abduction. If there is one thing one should never do it is to contact the authorities. KFR organisations are tied into local power structures. Trying to negotiate a ransom for your loved one as a police officer slash KFR group member sips coffee in your "sala" (livingroom) is never intelligent.
The next morning, Tuesday, October 18th, Vice Mayor Duterte (make no mistake, his daughter is keeping his seat warm but he still remains the power to contend with) was appraised of the situation and began keeping close tabs on the case after an initial Command Conference on the incident at lunch that day. That night at 11PM Dave Anthony's mother received the second call from the kidnappers, as Mr.Chiu sat nervously listening by speakerphone, as the kidnappers opened negotiations with an initial demand for P5 Million ($110,000). When Mrs.Chiu stammered in response the caller angrily warned her that if the family tried to unnecessarily prolong negotiations her son would be returning home minus a vital internal organ or two because they would simply sell his kidney to raise the desired funds. Quickly replying Mrs.Chiu simply explained that she was nervous just as any mother naturally would be in the same circumstances. By the time the call ended the Chius had almost effortlessly gotten the ransom lowered to the much more palatable P2 Million ($44,000), showing that whoever was holding their son was not a professional, something that counter-intuitively is far from comforting.
The next day, Wednesday, October 19th, Mr. Chiu headed downtown to the CPO Headquarters where the police discussed the previous evening's phone call and its ransom negotiations. Allowing a city police officer to pose as the family negotiator when the kidnappers made contact that afternoon Mr.Chiu ended up agreeing to make a ransom down payment of P188,000 ($3,900) and some 24 karat heirloom gold jewlery. Setting the exchange for that evening, the CPO and Vice Mayor Duterte began formulating an entrapment operation to arrest the kidnappers, recover the ransom, and most importantly, ensure 5 year old Dave Anthony Jaime Chiu's freedom.
Having watched one too many Hollywood movies the kidnappers ordered the "negotiator" to proceed to the municipality of Digos City in that same province, Davao del Sur. There the negotiator was told, he would receive another phone call instructing him to take the next step. Having no choice but to comply the entire operation moved down to Digos City. When the second phonecall came the negotiator was told to now proceed back to Davao City and wait at a location in Toril District's Barangay Sibulan. Back in Davao City now the expected third phonecall finally arrived after midnite and the negotiator was instructed to cross into the adjoining municipality of Santa Cruz and proceed to a convenience store in that town's Barangay Sibulan (both Santa Cruz and Davao City's Toril District have a Barangay Sibulan which was actually a single community that was vivisected by re-drawn municipal borders).
Arriving at the convenience store after the daylong wild goose chase, at 1AM on Thursday, October 20th, police operatives observed two motorcycles with two men riding tandem on each waiting suscpiciously. As the negotiator and Mr.Chiu made their way to the designated spot one of the motorcycles' passengers dismounted and strode over and asked if they had brought the agreed upon sum. Tenatively Mr.Chiu handed over a bag containing the cash and jewlery and as he did so he nervously asked about his son. Ignoring the question the youth replied that Mr.Chiu should go home and wait for a phonecall about the next step in negotiations. Realising that the victim wasn't on scene the police impetuously decided to arrest all four men and use them to ascertain young Dave Anthony's whereabouts.
Quickly rushing the motorcycles just as the man carrying the ransom bag approached his cohorts they managed to grab the ransom bearer but lost the other three kidnappers as the motorcycles quickly escaped at a high rate of speed. Not suprisingly the police told Richard Chiu that the ransom had unfortunately already been handed off by the ransom bearer and was therefore considered gone for good although the man was grabbed well before reaching the motorcycles. By torturing...I mean "interrogating" the ransom bearer, 18 year old Joel Reyes Moda, they were able to get the names of his three cohorts and much more importantly they were able to discover the location of Dave Anthony. Rushing to a house in that same Santa Cruz Barangay Sibulan they safely recovered the young boy who by all appearances had managed fairly well. The couple holding him told a ridiculous story that had them receiving the boy in exchange for fuel. As they told it, the evening before four men on two motorcycles had knocked on their door asking if they might buy some fuel for their motorcycles (like a fair number of people living along major thoroughfares the family in question displayed a one liter bottle containing fuel outside their home signifying that the sell it). Low on cash the men offered young Dave Anthony as collateral in exchange, with a promise to pay up and collect the boy that same night. This being Mindanao the couple hasn't been arrested, though the police continued in their hunt for the three men aboard two motorcycles.
Later that same morning, just before 12PM the CPO received a call from the MPO (Municipal Police Office, the equivalent of the CPO in towns) in the municipality of Matanao in that same province of Davao del Sur. One of the wanted motorcycles, the one with only one man, had been found parked outside a village home in Barangay Sinawilan. Proceeding to Matanao the Davao City CPO personnel assigned to the case linked up with their Matanao MPO colleagues and the combined force made their way to the house in question. There they kicked in the door and found their wanted man, 28 year old Jack Ferdinand Pala asleep on a couch. Shooting him in the face at point blank range and instantly killing him the Davao City CPO then claimed that Pala had been found while driving his motorcycle and had initiated a firefight in which he then raised his arm to throw a hand grenade necessitating a lethal response. Suuuuure. Pala was carrying an empty 38 revolver which was also held up as poof positive of his wily and dangerous ways.
Pala, of Davao City's Barangay Crossing Bagabas (Bagabas Bridge) in Toril District is an interesting character. Though nominally employed recently as a triksiad driver (almost the least expencive form of Philippine public transportation, an offroad motorcycle with an aluminum shell fitted around it with vinyl benches in front and back for fare paying passengers) he had been a gang member in his teenaged years and ended up convicted at age 20 for raping a maid in a house and his friends were burglarising. He was also convicted of the burglary, against the home of Davao City attorney Vivencio Vedallo in 2003, along with six other gang members. The gang specialised in such acts and so, though a long shot, there is always the chance that the breakin at the pawn shop and travel agency three weeks earlier may have been a related precursor to this kidnapping. With Pala lying in a pine box this will never be known.
The two remaining kidnappers in this current case remain free and will probably never be arrested if past performance of the Philippine justice system is any sort of indicator. 18 year old Joel Reyes Moda, a resident of Sitio Dona Pilar in Davao City's Barangay Sasa, in Buhangin District remains in the Davao del Sur Provincial Jail as his case begins its long and winding road.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part V: Monaliza Almonte Kapa
NOTE: Although the Philippine Media is notoriously shoddy vis a vis accuracy and fact checking, in the case I am about to discuss they have been terribly remiss; the victim's name is being reported as "Monalisa Capa." Perhaps they will eventually get it right but I cannot be overly optimistic towards this end.
On Sunday evening, October 9th, 2011 Monaliza Almonte Kapa was working late in her ice plant next to the municipal pier in the town of Pitogo's Barangay Poblacion in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Though she was only two blocks for her home in Barangay Poblacion's Purok Pechay she needed to personally attend to the plant whose machinery had been spotty all day. Fishermen work seven days a week and they begin loading up on ice in the late afternoon to early evening as they make ready to head out to sea. Ms.Kapa was just as attentive in all her endeavours. Aside from the ice plant she an her husband own their own fish pond as coastal fish farms are known and a petrol service station as well. Sadly it was this success that led to Ms.Kapa's current predicament since success breeds jealousy and jealousy breeds violence, at least in the Southern Philippines.
At 645PM that evening ten guerillas from the 113 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the MILF's military wing is known, came ashore in front of her ice plant. The ten men, all wearing the BIAF's trademark Malaysian tiger patterned camouflage fatigues and brandishing assault rifles, wasted no time, with six of them quickly fanning out to form a security perimeter. Leaving their three motor bancas idling, as motorised skiffs are locally known, four of the guerillas entered the plant. Grabbing a shocked Ms.Kapa they marched the frightened woman out to one of the three boats before turning towards Olutanga Island in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. Olutanga serves as a rendevouz point for the 113 Base Command's sub-Kumander Waning Abdulsalam and his brother, sub-Kumander Ustadz Abral Abdulsalam, both of whom lead co-operating KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom groups.
As I have described in a number of other "Kidnap for Ransom" entries the BIAF's 113 is one of a number of Base Commands that has begun to rely on KFR as its main source of fundraising.
On Sunday evening, October 9th, 2011 Monaliza Almonte Kapa was working late in her ice plant next to the municipal pier in the town of Pitogo's Barangay Poblacion in Zamboanga del Sur Province. Though she was only two blocks for her home in Barangay Poblacion's Purok Pechay she needed to personally attend to the plant whose machinery had been spotty all day. Fishermen work seven days a week and they begin loading up on ice in the late afternoon to early evening as they make ready to head out to sea. Ms.Kapa was just as attentive in all her endeavours. Aside from the ice plant she an her husband own their own fish pond as coastal fish farms are known and a petrol service station as well. Sadly it was this success that led to Ms.Kapa's current predicament since success breeds jealousy and jealousy breeds violence, at least in the Southern Philippines.
At 645PM that evening ten guerillas from the 113 Base Command of the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the MILF's military wing is known, came ashore in front of her ice plant. The ten men, all wearing the BIAF's trademark Malaysian tiger patterned camouflage fatigues and brandishing assault rifles, wasted no time, with six of them quickly fanning out to form a security perimeter. Leaving their three motor bancas idling, as motorised skiffs are locally known, four of the guerillas entered the plant. Grabbing a shocked Ms.Kapa they marched the frightened woman out to one of the three boats before turning towards Olutanga Island in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. Olutanga serves as a rendevouz point for the 113 Base Command's sub-Kumander Waning Abdulsalam and his brother, sub-Kumander Ustadz Abral Abdulsalam, both of whom lead co-operating KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom groups.
As I have described in a number of other "Kidnap for Ransom" entries the BIAF's 113 is one of a number of Base Commands that has begun to rely on KFR as its main source of fundraising.
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part IV: Pang Choon Pong
Pang Choon Pong, a Chinese emigrant to Malaysia, has a fair to middlin' wholesale seaweed and shellfish distributorship in his adopted hometown of Lok Kawi in Malaysia's Sabah State. Having recently opened a retail shoppe in the nearby state capital of Kota Kinabalu as well, Mr.Pang (Chinese surnames are placed first) was more than busy. Still, being a hands on guy Pang still liked to personally make the rounds from time to time.
All over Southeast Asia, wherever there are national borders there are local border dwellers coming and going without any form of passport control. While much has been said of the "Terrorist Hiway," or the "T3," the "Terror Transit Triangle," leading from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapre into and out of the Southern Philippines, the fact of the matter is that the gate is impossible to close, let alone seal. That is not to say the powers that be haven't used a whole lot of elbow grease in trying to at least make some progress in that area. A big chunk of American largesse has gone into boosting Philippine Naval interdiction. Aside from creating Task Force 62 which thus far hasn't proved capable of even interdicting poachers of sea turtle eggs, there is a Philippine Naval Station in which three US Navy Radar Technicians seek to prevent Jemaah Islamiyah and the Malaysian based Kumpulan Muhajadin Malaysia [sic] members from entering the country in the joint American-Philippine initative offically known as "Coast Watch South."
In reality it is an entirely wasted effort that to date has merely snagged some retired AFP and PNP senior officers running weapons and explosives in that region in addition to a weak Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander, a cousin of the now deceased Abu Sayyaf factional leader, Kumander Robot. Though this "cousin" did have a US 1 Million bounty courtesy of the Americans, who were silly that way in the early years of its third front on the anti-terrorism jugganaut, that apprehension took place after a mere four months after the programme began. So, while it's great to wax nostalgic about it, the bi-lateral endeavour represents absolutely no utility vis a vis sealing off one of the world's most porous borders. Since that 2004 arrest it has been a financial black hole like most Philippines-based initiatives. A little known Regional Agreement allows all locals to come and go at will so unless that agreement is abrogated there is no solution in sight. If one dresses the part they can easily enter or leave the Philippines at will. Ergo, the Americans can grind their teeth and get all red in the face as much as they want but EVEN IF they ever somehow obtain a concerted effort from the other four
So it was that on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, Pang Choon Pong fired up his twin screw speedboat and along with three helpers, a man and two women, Chinese emigrants like himself, roared into the sea lanes and began the 45 minute ride to the municipality of Sitangkai in Tawi Tawi Province. Situated on Sitangkai Island, that one municipality produces more than 50% of all Philippine seaweed exports and so Mr.Pang is but one of many foreign traders frequenting the island. Shortly after mooring at the town's Chinese Pier Mr.Pang was approached by Merham Maraji, a seaweed trader who used to be one of Pang's primary suppliers. The two had had a bad falling out when Mr.Maraji raised his prices without warning.
As Pang and Maraji stepped to the side to talk amongst themselves onlookers were startled when Mr.Maraji began screaming at Mr.Pang and lunged for him. As Pang deftly sidestepped the attempted assault Mr.Maraji drew down with a 9MM pistol and brought Pang to heel. As the two men scuffled Marji began screaming in Tausug, Maraji's tribal language, and three young men came running, two of them carrying M16s. Ordering a stunned Mr.Pang to get back aboard his own boat, and ignoring the three helpers, Maraji clambered aboard as the vessel pushed off and roared into the crisp morning air.
Always willing to do their job when foreigners are targetted Task Force 62 put out a bulletin on Pang's vessel and proceeded to Maharji's home where they found the craft safely moored but empty. Neither were the two men in Maharji's home nor neighbouring Clansmen's homes. Still, the authorities are paying attention and one should.
All over Southeast Asia, wherever there are national borders there are local border dwellers coming and going without any form of passport control. While much has been said of the "Terrorist Hiway," or the "T3," the "Terror Transit Triangle," leading from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapre into and out of the Southern Philippines, the fact of the matter is that the gate is impossible to close, let alone seal. That is not to say the powers that be haven't used a whole lot of elbow grease in trying to at least make some progress in that area. A big chunk of American largesse has gone into boosting Philippine Naval interdiction. Aside from creating Task Force 62 which thus far hasn't proved capable of even interdicting poachers of sea turtle eggs, there is a Philippine Naval Station in which three US Navy Radar Technicians seek to prevent Jemaah Islamiyah and the Malaysian based Kumpulan Muhajadin Malaysia [sic] members from entering the country in the joint American-Philippine initative offically known as "Coast Watch South."
In reality it is an entirely wasted effort that to date has merely snagged some retired AFP and PNP senior officers running weapons and explosives in that region in addition to a weak Abu Sayyaf sub-Kumander, a cousin of the now deceased Abu Sayyaf factional leader, Kumander Robot. Though this "cousin" did have a US 1 Million bounty courtesy of the Americans, who were silly that way in the early years of its third front on the anti-terrorism jugganaut, that apprehension took place after a mere four months after the programme began. So, while it's great to wax nostalgic about it, the bi-lateral endeavour represents absolutely no utility vis a vis sealing off one of the world's most porous borders. Since that 2004 arrest it has been a financial black hole like most Philippines-based initiatives. A little known Regional Agreement allows all locals to come and go at will so unless that agreement is abrogated there is no solution in sight. If one dresses the part they can easily enter or leave the Philippines at will. Ergo, the Americans can grind their teeth and get all red in the face as much as they want but EVEN IF they ever somehow obtain a concerted effort from the other four
So it was that on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011, Pang Choon Pong fired up his twin screw speedboat and along with three helpers, a man and two women, Chinese emigrants like himself, roared into the sea lanes and began the 45 minute ride to the municipality of Sitangkai in Tawi Tawi Province. Situated on Sitangkai Island, that one municipality produces more than 50% of all Philippine seaweed exports and so Mr.Pang is but one of many foreign traders frequenting the island. Shortly after mooring at the town's Chinese Pier Mr.Pang was approached by Merham Maraji, a seaweed trader who used to be one of Pang's primary suppliers. The two had had a bad falling out when Mr.Maraji raised his prices without warning.
As Pang and Maraji stepped to the side to talk amongst themselves onlookers were startled when Mr.Maraji began screaming at Mr.Pang and lunged for him. As Pang deftly sidestepped the attempted assault Mr.Maraji drew down with a 9MM pistol and brought Pang to heel. As the two men scuffled Marji began screaming in Tausug, Maraji's tribal language, and three young men came running, two of them carrying M16s. Ordering a stunned Mr.Pang to get back aboard his own boat, and ignoring the three helpers, Maraji clambered aboard as the vessel pushed off and roared into the crisp morning air.
Always willing to do their job when foreigners are targetted Task Force 62 put out a bulletin on Pang's vessel and proceeded to Maharji's home where they found the craft safely moored but empty. Neither were the two men in Maharji's home nor neighbouring Clansmen's homes. Still, the authorities are paying attention and one should.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Kidnap for Ransom for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part III: The Release of Evangeline Taverisma
In my entry, "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part V" I discussed the case of 55 year old Evangeline Taverisma. The wife of a retired AFP, or Armed Forces of the Philippines soldier, Ms.Taverisma spent much of her time at the Rural Health Station in Barangay Tagbak, in the municipality of Indanan on Sulu Province's Jolo Island. There Evangeline worked as a midwife much as she had been doing for the better part of the past thirty-five years.
As Ms.Taverisma walked home from her job on the afternoon August 3rd, 2011, she was waylaid by four gun wielding men who, while waving 45 caliber pistols in the air, angrily ordered her to quickly get inside the red six-bench (a shorter version of the "jeepney") Toyota Tamaraw that they had recently commandeered. The men, ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group guerillas under Kumander Nasir Timbang then spirited Ms.Taverisma into the upland barangay of Kuppung where she then spent the better part of the next two weeks.
Kumander Timbang then sold Ms.Taverisma to a second Abu Sayyaf faction under Kumander Muhmar Jikiri in a deal brokered by Timbang's wingman, known only by his nom de guerre, sub-Kumander Pula and Jikiri Clansmen Sarippuddin "Iddih" Jikiri, the 23 year old Mayor of Indanan and the son of MNLF-EC15 (MNLF-Executive Committee of 15 aka MNLF-Sema) senior officer Yusop Jikiri, former Governor and Congressman to boot. It was Kumander Muhmar Jikiri who then opened ransom negotiations with the ridiculously high sum of P5 Million ($105,000). As a midwife at a Government health clinic and the wife of a retired AFP enlisted man there was no way that Ms.Taverisma's loved ones could even raise P500,000 ($11,000). Luckily for her perhaps, she was able to regain her freedom without a single centavo ever being paid.
On Thursday, October 6th, 2011 the Sulu PPO, or Provincial Police Office, was on reconnaisance patrol in the municipality of Parang. Sometime after crossing into the upland barangay of Lanao Dakula they began taking fire from a thickly wooded area. When the shooting stopped 10 minutes later the police officers carefully made their way into the wooded area and discovered a small ASG encampment. Moreover, huddling inside a blue plastic tarp, shivering in fear, was Ms.Taverisma. The Sulu PPO immediately transported the still shocked woman into Jolo City where she was released to the custody of the Provincial Hospital for the requisite medical exam, with her de-briefing scheduled for later today, Friday, October 7th.
As Ms.Taverisma walked home from her job on the afternoon August 3rd, 2011, she was waylaid by four gun wielding men who, while waving 45 caliber pistols in the air, angrily ordered her to quickly get inside the red six-bench (a shorter version of the "jeepney") Toyota Tamaraw that they had recently commandeered. The men, ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group guerillas under Kumander Nasir Timbang then spirited Ms.Taverisma into the upland barangay of Kuppung where she then spent the better part of the next two weeks.
Kumander Timbang then sold Ms.Taverisma to a second Abu Sayyaf faction under Kumander Muhmar Jikiri in a deal brokered by Timbang's wingman, known only by his nom de guerre, sub-Kumander Pula and Jikiri Clansmen Sarippuddin "Iddih" Jikiri, the 23 year old Mayor of Indanan and the son of MNLF-EC15 (MNLF-Executive Committee of 15 aka MNLF-Sema) senior officer Yusop Jikiri, former Governor and Congressman to boot. It was Kumander Muhmar Jikiri who then opened ransom negotiations with the ridiculously high sum of P5 Million ($105,000). As a midwife at a Government health clinic and the wife of a retired AFP enlisted man there was no way that Ms.Taverisma's loved ones could even raise P500,000 ($11,000). Luckily for her perhaps, she was able to regain her freedom without a single centavo ever being paid.
On Thursday, October 6th, 2011 the Sulu PPO, or Provincial Police Office, was on reconnaisance patrol in the municipality of Parang. Sometime after crossing into the upland barangay of Lanao Dakula they began taking fire from a thickly wooded area. When the shooting stopped 10 minutes later the police officers carefully made their way into the wooded area and discovered a small ASG encampment. Moreover, huddling inside a blue plastic tarp, shivering in fear, was Ms.Taverisma. The Sulu PPO immediately transported the still shocked woman into Jolo City where she was released to the custody of the Provincial Hospital for the requisite medical exam, with her de-briefing scheduled for later today, Friday, October 7th.
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