Thursday, September 18, 2008 Troops stop operations for Sayyaf captives
GOVERNMENT suspended rescue operations for two non-government organization (NGO) workers who remain captive of Abu Sayyafs in Basilan.
Navy spokesman Edgard Arevalo said Marine soldiers halted their operations for Esperanzita Hupida and Millet Mendoza in the outskirts of the province on the request of the crisis committee, which is headed by Fr. Angel Calvo.
"Marine pursuit and rescue operations (were) suspended upon the request of the six-man crisis committee to allow the committee to work unhampered for the release of (the hostages)," said Arevalo.
He said Marine soldiers will be merely involved in the monitoring of the movement of the kidnappers, headed by Furuji Indama, who figured in last year's beheading of 10 Marine soldiers in Al Barkah, Basilan.
"(The) Marines in the area shifted to intensified monitoring and intelligence information gathering of the movements of the kidnappers who were reportedly moving on foot in the area. Should there be a need to resort to military operations, (the) Marines are ready for immediate deployment," he said.
The Abu Sayyaf intercepted two vehicles carrying a dozen of NGO workers in the town of Tipo-tipo while they were on their way back to Isabela City on Monday afternoon.
Five of the workers were initially taken hostage while the seven others were able to escape.
On Monday night, three of the hostages were released without any ransom to the mayor of Tipo-tipo. The military said the abductors were pressured into releasing the three hostages because of the rescue operations they initially conducted. (VR/Sunnex)
