|
National
Police chief Director Gen. Avelino Razon Jr. on Tuesday
night expressed optimism that kidnapped broadcast
journalist Ces Drilon and her two companions would be
freed “in a few hours.”
In an
interview by ABS-CBN, Razon, who flew to Zamboanga City
yesterday to closely monitor the negotiation to free
Drilon, cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and Mindanao State
University professor Octavio Dinampo from the Abu Sayyaf
kidnappers, said in Filipino: “We are expecting that in
a few hours Ces, her cameraman and professor Dinampo
will be returned to us safely.”
When
asked for the basis of his optimism, Razon said the
release of assistant cameraman Angelo Valderama on
Thursday, the terrorists’ disregard for its deadline for
the ransom payment yesterday and their agreement to
continue the negotiation “gave us reasons to be
optimistic that the situation will be resolved soon.”
Earlier
yesterday, hopes for the safe release of Drilon,
Encarnacion and Dinampo grew stronger after their
abductors agreed to extend the deadline they set to
settle their freedom.
Sources
said there is also a possibility that the members of the
bandit group Abu Sayyaf would agree to free the victims
without paying ransom.
Jun
Isnaji, son of Indanan town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, who
was handpicked by the Abu Sayyaf to negotiate for the
hostages’ release, announced Tuesday morning in
Zamboanga City that the kidnappers extended their
deadline to the families of the victims or Drilon’s
employer, the ABS-CBN, to pay for the P15-million ransom
which they have earlier demanded.
The
kidnappers on Monday gave the families of the victims
until noon yesterday to settle for the ransom and
threatened to close the door for negotiations if no
ransom was paid.
Isnaji
said because of the government’s existing no-ransom
policy, he told the abductors of the possibility that
they will be given livelihood projects in exchange for
the freedom of the kidnap victims.
The
younger Isnaji told newsmen that the kidnappers have
changed their minds and agreed to continue with the
talks for the safe release of the hostages. The Abu
Sayyaf did not set a new deadline. It was not also clear
if the ransom demand stands.
He
disclosed that he has been in touch with the kidnappers
since past 6 a.m. Tuesday and spoke to Drilon, who told
him she was okay.
Drilon,
Encarnacion, Dinampo and Valderama were seized by a
group of Abu Sayyaf members in barangay Kulasi, Maimbung,
on June 8 while they were on the way to conduct an
interview.
Razon
said the government is hoping that Drilon and company
would be released by their kidnappers “without any
condition.”
While in
Zamboanga, Razon had a closed-door meeting with top
officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM):
Police Regional Office 9 Chief Supt. Leocadio Santiago,
the head of the Special Action Force; Chief Supt.
Roland Annonuevo, director of the PNP Intelligence
Group; ARMM police director Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao;
Western Mindanao Police Office (WMPO) Director Jaime
Caringal; as well as Western Mindanao Command chief Lt.
Gen. Nelson Allaga; and Naval Forces Western Mindanao
chief Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag Jr. at Camp Col. Romeo
Abendan in Zamboanga City.
Combined
police and military forces have prepared a contingency
plan dubbed as the “final option” in securing the
freedom of the kidnap victims.
“The
ground troops are on standby including the support
units,” Razon told reporters in a press conference at
Camp
Abendan
that houses the WMPO headquarters.
Razon
said they have determined the whereabouts of the
kidnappers and hostages but declined to disclose the
specific place, except in saying “it’s a general
location.” He disclosed that there are at least 14
people involved in the kidnapping of the television crew
and their guide in Sulu.
“A
situation briefing was rendered and the chief PNP gave
his guidance for a contingency plan in any situation
that may arise. Ground troops are in place, including
air and naval assets. The combined PNP and AFP units
tasked to support the efforts of the Provincial Peace
and Order Council of the governor [Abdusakur Tan] and
the efforts of the mayor [Isnaji] are on standby, ready
for immediate deployment,” PNP spokesman Chief Supt.
Napoleon Bartolome said.
Bartolome, who presided over a press conference in Camp
Crame, said Razon also inspected the troops and checked
on their readiness.
Bartolome said that while their primordial concern is
for the unconditional release of the victims, they are
not bound by the deadline or its extension because this
is the concern of the Sulu government through the
crisis-management committee.
In the
press conference, Bartolome also showed to the media the
artist sketches of the two Abu Sayyaf members who have
earlier been identified as among those who kidnapped the
television journalist and her crew.
Meanwhile, Army Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, former
commander of the Sulu Joint Special Operations Task
Force, named Rep. Yusop Jikiri of the First District of
Sulu province as “credible and highly respected by the
abductors” and recommended him to be among the chief
negotiators in the kidnapping crisis.
Jikiri
had a meeting with the commanding general of the
Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, yesterday
morning on concrete steps on how to go about with the
negotiations.
Jikiri
is also consistent with his testimony over the innocence
of Professor Dinampo, saying he knows him to be a
peace-loving citizen. |
