MILF offers help for ‘release’ of ‘missing’ TV crew

MANILA, Philippines - The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) offered Tuesday to help monitor the whereabouts of "missing" television reporter Cecilia Victoria Oreña-Drilon and work for their early release. In a statement on its website, the MILF said it has created a "special group" in Jolo, Sulu to "actively help" in the monitoring of the crew's whereabouts and condition. "This will give our man in Sulu to move around freely," said Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat. Mantawil said the special group is headed by an MILF political officer, whose identity is not divulged so he and his group will have a better chance of getting "hard facts" of the incident. But Mantawil clarified that the MILF has very limited help because it and the Abu Sayyaf are "like water and oil." "We will do everything in our limited ways to help secure her and companions' early freedom," Mantawil said. Mantawil said the group has so far learned that Drilon and two crewmembers and professor Octavio Dinampo were kidnapped by an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Gafur Gumbahali in Kulasi village in Maimbung town Sunday morning.. The report said Gafur is the brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Dr. Abu Jumdail Gumbahali. It said they arrived in Jolo last Saturday, June 7, on the invitation of Dinampo "to cover a special event." Dinampo is also co-convener of the Mindanao Peace Weavers, a network of organizations advocating peace in Mindanao. He also heads Tulong Lupah Sug (TLS), a Jolo-based non-government organization. He has also written some articles based on his interviews with Abu Sayyaf forces. Some of these articles were published in several papers. Dinampo served as guide of Drilon's group, who stayed at the Sulu State University Hotel, and early Sunday picked up the group from the university hostel to still unidentified destination. The MILF said this was the second time that a journalist from ABS-CBN was kidnapped in Sulu. In 2000, ABS-CBN reporter Maan Macapagal and her cameraman Val Cuenca were were also kidnapped by the same Abu Sayyaf group. Earlier in the day, a statement from ABS-CBN described Drilon and cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and driver Angelo Valderama as "missing" in Sulu. "All efforts are underway to find them and bring them home. Until we learn more details, ABS-CBN News requests other media to report on this matter with utmost consideration for the safety of our news team," it added. - GMANews.TV