Drilon cries ‘betrayal’ in Sulu abduction

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Emerging from 10 days of captivity, broadcast journalist Cecilia Victoria "Ces" Oreña-Drilon on Wednesday claimed of "betrayal" that led to the abduction of her crew and a guide. Chief Superintendent Joel R. Goltiao, police director for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said, Ms. Drilon, her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., and Sulu-based Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo were released around 11:53 p.m. on Tuesday in the hinterland of Sitio Danasig, Barangay Lower Sinumaan in the town of Talipao. In her brief interview, a visibly shaken Ms. Drilon said, "I’ve been in and out in Mindanao in all my years as a journalist, and what I want is to understand the situation here and come up with a story. But unfortunately, there was some betrayal involved that’s why we were kidnapped," she said. She did not elaborate. Ms. Drilon, who was accompanied by her relatives, Senator Loren B. Legarda, and officials of the ABS-CBN News and Public Affairs, said, "We came close to losing our lives. I thought I was so reckless, we went through a terrible ordeal in the past 10 days." "We were hog-tied at some point — me, Jimmy and Angel. There was also a threat to behead them. And there was a time when I was talking to Senator [Loren B.] Legarda [through phone] and they [abductors] slapped me." A former colleague of Ms. Drilon in the TV network, Ms. Legarda, who also negotiated for the release of another broadcast journalist held hostage by the bandits in 2002, admitted she was involved in the negotiations since last week, but refused to come out in public so as not to hamper the talks. Ms. Drilon, her crew and Mr. Dinampo were kidnapped on June 8 in Sulu while pursuing an exclusive story. One of the crew — Angelo Valderama — was released on Thursday. Admitting a lapse in judgment, Ms. Drilon apologized to her employers. "I feel also really bad for putting my mom through this whole ordeal. I kept it secret to my mom about the coverage in Sulu." Mr. Goltiao said the kidnappers left the group of Ms. Drilon in a "pickup point." "It was about a hundred meters from the main road. They were picked by the police and the negotiator, [Indanan] Mayor [Alvarez Silal] Isnaji," he told BusinessWorld. No ransom Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Avelino I. Razon, Jr., maintained no ransom was paid. He said the kidnappers released their captives due to "pressures from the military and police, as well as from the negotiators." Mr. Razon said the police and the military have launched a manhunt operation against the 14 captors. Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Nelson N. Allaga said they have cordoned off Sulu to thwart attempts by suspects to flee the province. Mr. Razon said they have prepared charges against the leaders of the kidnappers who were earlier identified as Solaiman Patta alias Ama Maas or Abu Haris, and Walid alias Tuanwals. He said they are piecing the details during the debriefing. He noted that Mr. Dinampo, is not on the list of suspects. Mr. Isnaji and his son Haider, who were chosen by the Abu Sayyaf as negotiators, are not yet suspects, said Mr. Razon. The Isnajis were brought Wednesday to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City for further debriefing. "[The mayor] is not considered as a suspect but a resource person in the investigation," Chief Superintendent Raul Castañeda, CIDG director, told reporters in an interview at the CIDG headquarters. At some point in the negotiations, Mr. Isnaji threatened to give up due to the presence of other personalities conducting parallel talks with the kidnappers. He and Sulu Vice-Governor Lady Ann Sahidulla met Mr. Valderama upon his release. Mr. Isnaji is vying for the gubernatorial post in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections in August. Ms. Drilon said they will make sure that the perpetrators will be jailed. "We are cooperating with investigators, we condemned what [they did to us]. We will get there." Wipe out bandits Meanwhile, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday ordered security forces to go after the abductors and wipe out the bandit group. "Peace is a central ingredient to the nation’s and the island’s future. It is a path that we are firmly committed to achieving. This includes... wiping out the Abu Sayyaf once and for all, and returning the Mindanao countryside to the people," she said in a speech during the formal merging of the Lakas-Christian-Muslim-Democrats and Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino parties in Davao City. "I have ordered the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to launch a massive manhunt for the kidnappers of Ces Drilon." In a statement, Press Secretary Jesus G. Dureza credited the Crisis Management Committee and local officials for the release of the captives, but clarified that this would not spare the terrorists responsible for their abduction. "We are happy for bringing the victims back but our rejoicing must not overshadow our unrelenting efforts to bring the perpetrators to... face the full force of the law," he said. In a press conference in Malacañang, Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita said the case of Ms. Drilon and her team should serve as a lesson for journalists who cover risky situations. "In handling this operation, we need cooperation. We should [exercise] caution when we exercise our profession. We hope in the future no such kidnapping will occur because we want to put a stop to this," he said. Asked how the government can prove that there was no ransom paid, Mr. Ermita said there may have been exchange of money "but not as large as the ransom demanded by the abductors." He said based on his experience, the money will only cover the "board and lodging" of those abducted. Past negotiations for the release of Abu Sayyaf captives have denied the payment of ransom, but transactions are given a different term such as board and lodging, or in kind. "I believe there is no ransom paid because that is in pursuit of national policy. Based on our previous cases [of kidnapping] once they [victims] stay there [lair of kidnappers] for some time, there is amount of money but not substantial for board and lodging," Mr. Ermita said. "I am just being realistic to say that there may have been small amounts [that passed hands] but that is not really ransom. In case [there was], the amount costs P2,000 or P5,000 or P10,000. I don’t think you can call that ransom. It’s like a token amount so the abductors cannot say their efforts did not yield anything." In a related development, military spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto C. Torres, Jr. said in a press conference at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Wednesday Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander B. Yano "ordered punitive actions [against he kidnappers]... with consideration to the civilians living within the area." "We will use the full might of government forces in that area [Sulu] without unduly compromising the safety of the civilian communities," Mr. Torres added. Mr. Torres said they will be intensifying operations not only to capture the abductors but also to totally rid the region of all kinds of bandits and terrorists. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome said police operatives have identified some areas in Sulu that were used as lairs by the kidnappers during the ordeal. Mr. Torres estimated the number of the troops readied for operation in Sulu at 4,000, with six Marine Battalion Landing Teams, elite Army forces, and contingents from the Navy and the Air Force, together with the PNP. "We were formerly supportive of the search for Ms. Drilon, with the PNP as the principal agency in charge, but now there will be a transition in which the AFP will take the lead," Mr. Torres said. — Darwin T. Wee, Alexis Douglas B. Romero and Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez, BusinessWorld