AMID the gloom of the beheading of a German hostage by Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, the release of an eight-year-old boy held hostage for seven months brings a little light.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, February 28, made a public apology to the German Government and its people over the beheading of Abu Sayyaf’s hostage, German national Juergen Gustav Kantner.
“I am very sorry that the hostage, a national of your country, has been beheaded. I sympathize with the family and commiserate with the German people,” the President said in an interview with Palace reporters.
This developed as an Ateneo de Davao University based Islamic movement for peace condemned the German hostage's beheading.
With bandits
The eight-year-old Rexon Romoc, who was kidnapped along with his parents in Zamboanga Sibugay, was finally released and reunited with his family after seven months with kidnappers in Sulu.
The child returned to a family who had to sell everything they owned in Zamboanga Sibugay and live with relatives in Metro Manila just to pay ransom for the boy's mother and father earlier on.
They were reunited at the Malacañan with President Rodrigo Duterte as witness.
Rexon now speaks in Tausug more than Cebuano, the dialect his family speaks. Translating for him when brought to Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza was Tausug Edmund Gumbahali, whom Dureza identified as his emissary.
Thw child was turned over to his parents Elmer and Nora after a medical checkup done by National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) executive director Doctor Rose Liquete, who gave him a toy car with “Peace Love” markings as the child recalled the days when he would see military helicopters hovering above them while his captors scurried for cover.
Rexon and his parents were kidnapped on August 5, 2016, and brought to Sulu by their kidnappers, Dureza said.
Nora was released on August 22 after paying a small ransom.
“Upon being released, she then sold everything they owned including their ‘sari-sari’ store and borrowed money from friends and relatives to pay for the release of Elmer and Rexon,” Dureza wrote.
Elmer was released on November 15, but the bandits held on to Rexon.
“President Duterte, so concerned about the boy, instructed me to work on his release without let-up. Former Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, his son now incumbent Totoh Tan and well-meaning Tausugs provided the needed assistance,” Dureza said.
“It has been a long agonizing ordeal for him and the family. Their lives already in shambles due to what happened, the Romoc couple, with their elder 15-year-old son had since left Sibugay and temporarily relocated outside metro Manila with relatives,” he added.
Rexon demanded to see his parents the moment he was brought to Dureza by an emissary from Sulu.
Just to be sure, Dureza asked the boy who his parents were to confirm his identity.
The boy will undergo psychiatric healing as he had to run along with the bandits in the forests amid military operations.
“When NKTI Chief Doctor Rose gifted him with a toy car with ‘Peace Love’ markings while being medically examined, he told me he also wanted to have a helicopter for a toy. When I asked why, he told me about military helicopters occasionally hovering over them while his captors sought cover tagging him along,” Dureza said.
Deeply affected
Duterte admitted that the Philippine Government had failed to save the life of Kantner in the hands of Abu Sayyaf group.
“But I said, we tried. There’s a massive operation going on… I would like to say something to the family and to the government that we really tried our best.”
The Abu Sayyaf were demanding a P30-million ransom to release Kantner, but Duterte said his administration had to maintain the no-ransom policy because the number of hostages would go up, if they give money.
“We have been there and military operations have been going in for some time ago but we have failed. That has to be admitted,” Duterte said.
A video of the beheading of 70-year-old Kantner had been released, after both Philippine and German governments stuck to a no-ransom policy.
German Chancellor Angela Markel condemned the “barbaric” and “abhorrent” killing of Kantner.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte was “deeply affected” by Abu Sayyaf's decision to decapitate the German citizen.
Condemnation
The Salaam Movement based in Ateneo de Davao University released a statement on Tuesday condemning the beheading by Abu Sayyaf.
“We express our grief and condolences to the friends and family of the German kidnap victim and we strongly condemn and oppose all aggression on human life and dignity anywhere in the world,” the statement by the Salaam Movement read.
Salaam means “peace.”
Launched in October last year, Salaam Movement identifies itself as Islam-based as it works on an Islamic understanding of conflict resolution and peace-building and focuses on supporting young people to unleash their potentials especially in development cooperation and peace-building.
“This is not new to us. Violent extremism happens not only in the Philippines but worldwide. And did you know that most of the victims of local and global extremists are also Muslims?” the statement read.
“All Muslims should be united against all those who terrorize the innocents (Muslims or non-Muslims), and those who permit the killing of non-combatants without a justifiable reason. It is also necessary to apprehend the true perpetrators of these crimes, as well as those who aid and help them through incitement, financing or other support. Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is one of the basic principles of our religion. It is a duty of Muslims to participate in this effort with all possible means, especially in preventing and countering/confronting violent extremism,” it added.
“We shall not let these terrorist groups grab the real Islamic narrative. We shall not let these people devote to extremism by linking Islam and violence which will only give them greater scope to attract broad sectors of the youth.”