Negotiations under way for safe release of television crew

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Negotiations are under way for the safe release of a television crew and an academician kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province. Chief Superintendent Joel R. Goltiao, police director for the autonomous Muslim region, told BusinessWorld they have established communication with the kidnappers Monday afternoon. The abduction happened on Sunday. "For the safety of the victims, we don’t want to give further information about the negotiations," he said when asked if there were ransom demands from the kidnappers. Police and local authorities in Sulu said ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. senior reporter Cecilia Victoria "Ces" Oreña-Drilon, her two cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, and Sulu-based Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf led by Albader Parad. But the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the victims were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Gafur Gumbahali and not by Albader’s group. The MILF said Gafur is the "brother of Abu Sayyaf dreaded leader Dr. Abu Jumdail Gumbahali." The MILF said it has created a "special group" in Sulu to track down the victims. "We will do everything in our limited way to help secure [Ms. Drilon’s and her companions’] early freedom," Jun Mantawil, head of the MILF peace panel secretariat, said in a statement. Mr. Goltiao said the group of Ms. Drilon, while pursuing an exclusive story in Sulu, was flagged down past 11 a.m. on Sunday by armed men in the village of Kulasi in Maimbung town. Local government executives in Sulu, with police and military officials, have already created a crisis management team for the early and safe release of the victims. Mr. Goltiao said the captives were unharmed and being treated fairly. "They are being fed, they are not tied and they are allowed to move around, but with escorts." He said the information came from the crisis management team. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, director of nongovernmental organization Philippine Council on Islam and Democracy, said in a statement Mr. Dinampo was released Monday night, but Mary Ann M. Arnado, secretary-general of Mindanao People’s Caucus, a civil society peace coalition where Mr. Dinampo sits as chairman, told BusinessWorld that the report was "negative." "I called members of the family [of Mr. Dinampo] and they did not confirm the reported release," she told BusinessWorld. Mr. Goltiao said they also received a similar report but "when we checked their house, he was not there." BusinessWorld tried Tuesday to call Mr. Dinampo’s cellphone but the line was inactive. Ms. Arnado said Mr. Dinampo’s family is appealing for his captors "to let him have his medicines." She said Mr. Dinampo is suffering from hypertension and his medication should be taken daily. Ms. Arnado said based on her conversation with his family, Mr. Dinampo left his house on Sunday morning and said he will return by 5 p.m. Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Tuesday ordered security forces to do everything to locate Ms. Drilon and her crew. "The President has already instructed the Philippine National Police and the military to exhaust all means to determine the abductors of Ces Drilon. This [development] can give a bad signal because Ms. Drilon is a very popular figure in our country. We cannot allow our officials to sleep on this," said Deputy Presidential Spokesman Lorelei C. Fajardo. For its part, United States-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the abduction of Ms. Drilon’s group in a statement issued Tuesday. We are deeply concerned for the safety of these three journalists," said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. Surrender feelers In a related development, Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez Tuesday said Abu Sayyaf chief Radulan Sahiron had written him a letter three weeks ago on his willingness to surrender. "Sahiron and his followers offered to return to the fold of law provided that the government would give payment to the firearms that the group will surrender, they will receive immunity from all criminal suits, and the government will provide them with livelihood projects," he said in a press conference at the Department of Justice (DoJ). But Mr. Gonzalez said "under no terms would the government allow itself to bend under the terrorists’ conditions." "We can discuss things but certainly things would be according to the government’s terms," he said. Mr. Gonzalez said Mrs. Arroyo had cautioned him to verify the identity of the letter sender, who was alleged to have a DoJ contact. He added if Sahiron was sincere in surrendering, he should present himself and "I’d give him a safe conduct pass." Mr. Gonzalez said the government may face difficulty deciding on Sahiron’s offer given the $5-million bounty on the bandit leader offered by the United States government. The Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have 380 fighters, compared with more than 1,000 eight years ago. It has been weakened by US-backed military offensives. - with Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez and Alexis Douglas B. Romero