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Thursday, June 12, 2008
Gov't: No ransom policy in Ces Drilon kidnap case
MANILA -- Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Wednesday that Malacañang stands by its no-ransom policy in negotiating the release of TV journalist Ces Drilon and three others.
Ermita issued the statement following reports that the Abu Sayyaf bandits who allegedly abducted Drilon, her co-workers in ABS-CBN news network, and Professor Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University in Jolo, Sulu Sunday demanded a P10 million ransom in exchange for the victims' freedom.
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"We continue to stand by our policy of no ransom. We do not want to encourage the payment of ransom. We don't want it (kidnapping) to be an industry," he said, expressing confidence that Drilon and her crew would eventually be released.
"Military and police have been activated to find out what would it take for their release. They are mobilized to put some sense in their (kidnappers') head," he added.
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Ermita said Sulu Governor Sakur Tan had also informed Malacañang that emissaries have already been sent to negotiate for Drilon's release.
"We have so many templates. Somehow they end up being released and the kidnappers end up getting something but not ransom," he said, as he welcomed the offer of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to help in the search.
He, however, branded the incident as a setback to the country's growing economy, particularly the tourism industry, following travel advisories from foreign embassies against travel to the country.
Ermita said when advisories are issues, it is not indicated that the cases like kidnapping occurred in far and restricted areas of the country and not in the urban or areas frequented by tourists.
He, meanwhile, acknowledged that Drilon and her team may have violated some protocol in going to the restricted areas, even rejecting the offer of security escorts by law enforcement authorities.
For Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., the demand for ransom was to be expected, but he warned against giving in to these demands as it might "encourage criminals to make human suffering as a business."
"I think that considering the hostage situation, the demand of ransom is expected. The government policy is (we're) against any ransom payment, but the government can't do anything to stop a private company or party to pay if it's a member of their family being kidnapped. You can't penalize people for that," he said in a press briefing.
Gonzalez, however, admitted that there might be some difficulty assuring the safety of Drilon and her crew, considering that the people holding them captive are hardened terrorists who have no political demands.
"It is difficult to assure the safety (of Drilon and crew), considering the situation that criminals are holding them. We're not sure if there won't be any collateral damage; it's really something you can't be sure of," he said.
At this point, Gonzalez said Professor Dinampo should also be considered a victim of kidnapping, as he was part of the group that was intercepted by the abductors.
Dinampo was reportedly the contact of Drilon and her crew when they reached Sulu. He was trusted to guide the journalists to get more exclusive interviews in the area, the reason that they (Drilon's team) allegedly refused the military's offer to escort them around.
Gonzalez said the kidnapping of the ABS-CBN news team dealt a serious blow to the government's campaign to eradicate terrorism in the South, but it does not offset the gains that it has achieved over the early part of the year when it was able to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that led to the death of its leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, last year.
"To some extent, yes (it is a setback). It's not something we can dismiss outright. The President (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) is involved, it's a big story, but it does not offset the gains. It's just a new incident. It's just a plain and simple banditry," he said.
However, he said the National Security Council, of which the DOJ is a part of, has yet to convene to tackle the Abu Sayyaf's latest abduction, adding that he would not advise a news blackout at this point.
"It's a story that gained momentum. We can't allow a story of this nature to go unnoticed. A news blackout is not practical at this time. It should come if an operation is ongoing to rescue them because it might jeopardize the lives of people. Right now, we need all the information that we can get, but we hope that it's not misleading information that we are getting," he said. (JMR/ECV/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (June 12, 2008 issue)
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