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Monday, May 15, 2006
Cops say Moro militants not tied to kidnapping
By Alodia Bon Estrada and Richard E. Bitancor
Interns
POLICE authorities and family members of the kidnapped victims dismissed reports that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is involved in the kidnapping of businessman Izay Mutin's daughter and brother on Saturday, May 6.
Senior Police Officer 1 Roger Gamon of the Opol Police Precinct said there is no truth to reports that the MILF is behind the abduction of Mutin's daughter, 21-year-old Haniya, and brother, Ayubcan Mutin, around 12:00 p.m. of May 6 at Patag, Opol.
"It was not really the MILF, we just don't know what kind of group they belong to. We just refer to them as an armed group," Gamon said. "I just want to clear the MILF of any involvement because this has been the request of the family of the victim."
The trader's daughter who was kidnapped but later released has identified and is familiar with not two but four of the 10 abductors.
Police officers are coordinating with the military for a manhunt operation against these abductors who are still keeping the trader's brother and have demanded P2 million as ransom.
Gamon said he spoke to the victim's family members and to Haniya, after she was released in Iligan City, to inform her of the fate of her uncle Ayubcan and of the P2 million ransom.
Gamon said Haniya recounted to him her ordeal under the hands of her abductors and how she is "familiar" with the abductors as they often visit their residence. She identified four of the 10 suspects.
He said Haniya told them that around noon on May 6, she arrived at their residence in Patag, Opol only to find her uncle, Ayubcan, being forced into a private vehicle.
The armed group reportedly then saw Haniya and abducted her as well. But after an hour of traveling, Haniya was then said to have been released somewhere in Iligan City to be the abductors' messenger.
"They (abductors) told Haniya to inform her parents and other relatives that they are demanding P2 million ransom or else they will kill her uncle Ayubcan," Gamon said.
Haniya sent a text message to her mother about the incident and her parents rushed to the Opol Police Precinct to report what happened.
Because of this, Gamon said, police are now coordinating with the military to conduct an investigation and manhunt operation against the abductors.
He named the four suspects identified by Haniya as Cairoden "Rudy" Racman, Rasmia Racman, Abdul Nassir Gandamra, and a certain "Nono".
Ombra Gandamra, regional director of the Office of Muslim Affairs, debunked reports that one of the suspects is Abdul Nasser Gandambra.
In a text message sent to Sun.Star, Gandamra said he is vehemently denying that one of the kidnapping suspects is a Gandamra, saying that one of the two suspects is named as Abdulnasser Ibra.
Gamon said they could not yet divulge any more details or developments on the incident except that the family is working out to produce the ransom.
He said the family is now contemplating mortgaging some of their land properties just to produce P2 million.
"Everything is still under negotiations," he said.
(May 15, 2006 issue)
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