Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011, Part XI: The Release of Randelle Patilona Talania

Just a couple of weeks ago in another "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter" entry I had revisited the sad case of young Randelle Patilona Talania from the town of Titay in Zamboanga Sibugay Province. The 9 year old boy had just finished with school for the day and was waiting in front of Titay Central Elementary School for his father to drive him home when two men who had been loitering in front of the school for half an hour suddenly grabbed the terrified boy and dragged him into a green minivan whose side door slammed shut as the two men climbed in after Randelle. As three of Randelle's fellow students watched in shocked horror the minivan took off at a high rate of speed, heading for the town's Barangay Bangco.

Though the Titay MPO, or Municipal Police Office was called almost immediately but came up empty during its very brief search for clues. It wasn't until late that night that the MPO received notification from an MPO in the municipality of Kalawit, in the adjacent province of Zamboanga del Norte telling them that the minivan had been recovered, though it had been burned by the kidnappers. A quick search of the LTO, or Land Transportation Office, databank discovered that the minivan had been registered to a Jose Enriquez of Zamboanga City. As is usually the case however, the vehicle had been reported stolen that very same day.

Randelle's mother, Rosemarie Patilona Talania, is the Barangay Captain of Titay's Barangay Namnam. Like most politicians, from the barangay level up to provincial governor, she had long been targeted by the well entrenched extortion organisations that operate all over Mindanao. Philippine politicians from governor on down receive Internal Revenue Allotments, or IRAs, in what generally amounts to a slush fund, or as Filipinos like to call them, "pork barrels." The idea, in theory, is that these funds should be utilised for pet projects like a post harvest facility or a new xray machine at a public hospital. All too often though the money simply lines a politician's pockets or those of his or her constituency as that politician does their best to ingratiate themselves and hopefully secure re-election. Very often extortionists target politicians for a portion of their IRA. In Ms.Talania's case she had steadfastly resisted these efforts and in return had herself been targeted for kidnapping, with most extortion organisations also engaging in KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom as a lucrative sideline. Apparently it had never occured to Ms.Talania that her loved ones might be targeted in her stead.

Because the kidnapping had been witnessed it had been reported to the MPO, as noted in my first paragraph. Even at that stage it is possible to break off all contact with the authorities and handle all negotiations without outside interference. Even without Ms.Talania's political experience she was undoubtedly well aware that KFR Organisations are extremely well connected. Tied into both the local political establishment as well as into the military and law enforcement detachments within a given area of operation, it is impossible to co-operate with authorities without a kidnapping group not learning at least a part of the exchange. Therefore aside from interference one can never be sure that the extra helpful and sympathetic Vice Mayor isn't relaying all details from your side of the ransom negotiations directly to the kidnappers, or in an equaly probable scenario, are themselves the actual kidnappers. Despite this knowledge Ms.Talania inexplicably allowed the local establishment to take control of ransom negotiations.

Standard Operating Procedure mandates that the Mayor of the municipality in which the kidnapping occurred empanel a Crisis Management Committee, or CMC, to streamline the official response to the crime. The Mayor includes his or her police chief, as well as the chiefs of the PPO, or Police Provincial Office, and PRO, or Police Regional Office, as well as the local military brigade as well as other assorted local power brokers. The Crisis Management Committee also officialy handles the ransom negotiations though most families refuse all contact with the body. Ms.Talania's allowing the CMC to handle all aspects including the POLs, or Proofs of Life, the photos and/or tapes of the victim that aim to prove his or her current state of wellbeing un-necessarily prolonged young Randelle's ordeal.

Originally demanding P20 Million ($440,000) in ransom the kidnappers became irate in late May when the Crisis Management Committee publicly revealed doubts as to the boy's state of wellbeing. Severely asthmatic, he was looking particularly ill in the most recent POL. Though the ransom was subsequently lowered to P10 Million ($220,000) all contact ceased in early July, again because of differences that the KFR Organisation had with the Crisis Management Committee. By August most people weren't expecting a positive outcome, myself included. The objective in any KFR is netting a ransom in as short a period of time as is possible. Breaking off all contact is counter-intuitive and when combined with a less than stellar POL, well you get the idea. Indeed, in a recent "Kidnap for Ransom for the Third Quarter of 2011" entry, subtitled, "KFR Scorecard," I noted that there was a strong chance that Randelle had died already. It isn't often that I find myself glad I was wrong but I am not ashamed to say that this time at least, it feels great to have been mistaken.

Randelle had been kidnapped by the BIAF, or Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, as the MILF' military wing is known. The BIAF's 113 Base Command controls virtually all KFR on the Zamboanga Peninsula. When negotiations stalled out in July the 113 Base Command tried selling the boy to the BIAF 114 Base Command, on Basilan Island. The 114 begged off however but managed to make a small profit by brokering the boy's sale to the ASG, or Abu Sayyaf Group. The broker who sealed the deal was Wahid Pingli. After the sale was completed and the boy transported from Zamboanga del Norte Province, where the 113 Base Command had been holding him to Basilan in late August, negotiations began anew. Knowing that ASG took a much different attitude towards KFR in that if ransoms are not forthcoming they simply kill their prisoners, the family began talks with a new urgency. Requesting the first Proof of Life from the ASG, they were shocked to receive a photo of Randelle holding an M16 and crying. With that photo the family quickly consented to pay the first reduction in ASG's initial ransom demand of P5 Million ($105,000) when at two weels into renewed negotiations ASG dropped it to P3 Million.


On Wednesday, September 13th, at 4PM, Randelle's father dropped off a ransom of P3 Million ($66,000) to a representative of the Abu Sayyaf in Zamboanga City and was told to return home to Titay to await a phonecall with further instructions regarding his son's imminent release. Just before midnite, huddled with pensive family members and stupidly, with members of the Zamboanga Sibugay PPO-IB, or Police Provincial Office-Intelligence Branch, Randelle's father almost jumped when the phone rang. Mr.Talania was informed that he should be sitting by the phone at 2AM, his son was on his way to his point of release. Finally, at 2AM, the second call came. The caller instructed Mr.Talania to come pick up his son who had been released on National Hiway in Barangay Kitabog, there in Titay.

At 245AM Randelle, skinnier but alive ran to his father and practically jumped into his arms as both collapsed in loud sobs. The three PPO-IB agents shadowing Mr.Talania were themselves caught up in the emotion of the moment as well. After a medical check up and de-briefing at PPO Headquarters in the neighbouring municipality of Ipil Randelle was finally allowed to return home to Titay with his father and a joyous reunion with his family.

Kidnap for First Quarter,2011 Part III:Frank Chung and Randelle Talania

On February 21, 2011 54 year old Frank Chung of Midsayap,North Cotabato must have experienced de ja vu as yet another KFR (Kidnap for Ransom) attempt was made against him.The owner of Midsayap's largest hardware store had managed to escape harm in the first attack which took place on September 17, 2010 and did it by outwitting his assailants.In the first case Mr.Chung had been opening his hardware store when gunmen suddenly grabbed him and tried to force him into an idling SUV.The Tsinoy (Chinese Filipino) then faked a heart attack and collapsed onto the sidewalk in front of his shoppe.Unable to lift Mr.Chung, who stands 6'2,"the would be kidnappers panicked and quickly left the scene.

In this latest case he was once again grabbed while opening his store,FMC Hardware,in Barangay Poblacion.Unbeknownst to Mr.Chung,as he was occupied with trying to open the metal gate in front of his business,a green pickup truck slowed as it approached him with the occupants craning their necks to scrutinise his actions.As the would be kidnappers examined Mr.Chung however,a CVO (Civilian Voluntary Organization,a CAA,or Civilian Active Auxiliary,element sublimated to municipal police departments in areas affected by Islamic Insurgencies) soldier was carefully watching their every move.As the pickup moved past the shoppe and was about to turn at the next corner the CVO soldier moved to stop the truck,having already radioed in his concerns.

Before the CVO soldier could reach the pickup truck a man wearing a black jacket jumped out of the passenger side door and began almost jogging to FMC and Mr.Chung.Other CVO soldiers ran to cut him off at which point the man in the black jacket had second thoughts and did his best to run back to the green truck.Seeing the other CVO soldier at the truck the man in the black jacket pulled out a 45 caliber pistol from his waistband and reeled around.Before the gunman could get a shot off however 3 CVO personnel began firing their M1 rifles.Still doing his best to reach the truck tand what he had hoped would be his escape he gunman was shot in his buttocks.The truck then gunned its gas pedal and drove around the single CVO soldier trying to stop it.The gunman, now moderately wounded then made a run for a petrol station at the corner nearest FMC.Running past a bedspacer (rooming house) he almost ran head on into an elderly occupant of that boarding house.At that point the gunman took the old man as a hostage,intending to use him as a human shield.Managing to flank the gunman though,a CVO soldier got behind him and shot him in the back,killing him.

By then the 40IB (Infantry Battalion) was rushing to the scene.Having heard about the truck's escape the army (40IB) sent several small detachments to act as Blocking Forces to prevent the rest of the kidnap team from disappearing into Ligusan Marsh.A composite Blocking Force of the 40IB and the village CAFGU (Civilian Auxiliary Forces Geographical Unit, another CAA element,this one sublimated to the army) spotted the green pickup truck as it entered Barangay Pomologan,roughly 10km from the botched kidnapping. Pomolok is 1 of many towns that provide a route of entry into Ligusan Marsh and so that Blocking Force detachment moved into defencive positions only to have the truck come to a halt 1km away from the marsh due to its tires shaving been shredded by bullets.Five men quickly got out of the truck and engaged in a running firefight.Within minutes 3 of the 5 gunmen were laying dead,1 had disappeared into a canal leading into the marsh and the 5th man meekly surrendered to soldiers from the 40IB.

The captured man,21 year old Esmael Mamison,a Maguindanowan Tribesman with no understanding of Cebuano,Ilonggo,Tagalog OR English said that he had been recruited just that morning and therefore claimed he could offer little in the way of valuable information.The first man killed,the kidnapper in the black jacket was identified as the epononymously named Abubakar.According to municipal officials and the PNP (Philippine National Police) the assailents were BIFF guerillas (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the new MILF breakaway group led by Kumamder Ustadz Ameril Ombra Kato).Kato himself denied the accusation.Inside the abandoned pickup truck authorities discovered one M16, two 45 caliber pistols and two M79 grenades.


Later,a local Islamic Cleric again accused the BIFF of having committed the attempted kidnapping.Ustadz Ome (sic) Ikhayr said that the kidnappers were new BIFF recruits who had been given the operation as a "Test Mission"before full membership.Of course noone has ever heard of this"cleric"so that noone awards the accusation any credibility.

On March 09, 2011 in Barangay Poblacion,Titay,Zamboanga Sibugay Province,9 year old Randelle Talania, son of Barangay Capt.Rose Marie Talania of Barangay Namnama in that same town was standing in front of the fence surrounding his school waiting for a ride home from school.as Randelle stood in front of Titay Central School's fence a white van pulled up next to him.Immediately two men opened the side panel of the cargo van,grabbed yound Randelle and threw him into the vehichle before getting in themselves.Driving off through Barangay Poblacion three eye witnesses alerted school officials of the kidnapping and mentioned that the van had taken off towards the town of Kalawit in that same province.By the time a composite force of PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) arrived in Kalawit the kidnappers had already arrived,switched vehicles,and set fire to their abandoned van before departing Barangay Marcelo.