Showing posts with label ransom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ransom. Show all posts

PostHeaderIcon Missionary Michael Sinnott freed by kidnappers

11/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


The 79–year old Columban missionary Fr. Michael Sinnott who was kidnapped in Pagadian City in Mindanao was released by his captors. he was turned over to ambassador Rafael Seguis and peace negotiator Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Sealana.

According to reports, the Irish priest was brought by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at dawn to government authorities in a Muslim community. The separatist group had been suspected of orchestrating the abduction. Officials said there was no ransom paid even if $2 million was demanded by the kidnappers especially at the time of election.

Sinnott’s walk to freedom came hours before US State Secretary Hillary Clinton was to arrive in the Philippines. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP,) was happy upon knowing the religious missionary was set free.

His release brought a sigh or relief after the public was fearful and furious over the barbaric beheading of an elementary school principal in Patikul, Sulu. In a month's time from October 11 to November 11, seven (7) documented abductions were reported in Southern Philippines. This suggested that their kidnapping and that of Sinott'swon't be the last.

Though the old religious worker didn't show physical injuries as a result of his captivity, the emotional harm on the kidnapping victim and his familly could be enormous. It is appalling that innocent civilians, some old enough to be a great grandpa, had been used as pawns in the game the bandits play with the government. (Photo Credit: newsyahoo.com) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Barbaric beheading of a school principal in Patikul, Sulu

11/10/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


A 36-year old elementary school principal was beheaded by unidentified men who accosted him while riding a small bus in the town of Patikul, Sulu. Gabriel Canizares’ barbarically severed head was thrown in a gas station by men in motorcycles believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf, the notorious band of bandits that operates in Mindanao. Five hours after, his mutilated body was dumped near a military camp in Patikul, Sulu.

It was reported that before Canizares’ abduction on October 20, 2009, he was threatened by death threats. His family said, the victim and his relatives couldn’t pay the P2 million ransom demanded by his captors.

Teachers who knew the murdered principal were angry, distraught, and fearful over the death of their colleague. Those who were working to rescue the educator had shifted to arresting those responsible.

Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo ordered an intensive manhunt for the perpetrators of the crime which had been widely condemned by Jolo residents. It was theorized that Canizares' murder was connected with the abduction of Columban missionary Fr. Michael Sinnot in Pagadian City who at present had not been found. With the Moro Liberation Front (MILF,) among the suspects, the 79-year old Catholic priest was asked to pay $2 million ransom---a demand that was repudiated by the government and the Columban Missionary community the sickly humanitarian worker belongs.

Over the weekend, authorities took custody of an MILF commander. Canizares' beheading could have been a retaliation, according to Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa. Intelligence reports indicated that the arrested MILF commander identified as Asnawie Addan Salah, had knowledge and contact with the Al-Qaeda affiliated Abu Sayyaf Group who kidnapped the principal of Kanagi Elementary School.

The persistent lawlessness in Southern Philippines of Islamic radicals has appalled peace-loving Filipinos. The beheading of innocent individuals is a horrible degeneration down the path of barbarism that must be condemned. It’s despicable to know that debased human beings have to resort to desecrate bodies of fellow human beings. (Photo Credit: Charlie Saceda) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon 200 MILF negotiators for the release of Fr. Sinnott?

11/04/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post
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PostHeaderIcon $2 million ransom demanded for Fr. Sinnott’s release

11/01/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


After wild specularions over the conflicting reports that Columban missionary Fr. Michael Sinnott who was snatched by unidentified kidnappers a week before was dead, the military finally announced through Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner on Saturday, October 31, 2009 that a $2 million ransom is being asked for his release from the forest of Mindanao.

In a video where Fr. Sinnott appeared standing behind an October 22, 2009 copy of the newspaper Inquirer, he identified the leader of his kidnappers as Abu Jandal. Authorities have yet to confirm if Jandal is a member of the notorious Abu Sayyaf militants who are known to extort money from civilian hostages. Abu Sayyaf have ties with Al Qaeda, the international Islamic terrorist group led by Osama bin Laden.

According to the military, the 79-year old ailing priest who was forcibly taken in his mission office in Pagadian City on October 11, 2009 and later wrongly reported to have been killed in captivity looked weak in the picture. He suffers from heart problems.

Fr. Patrick O’ Donoghue, the Philippine head of the the Missionary Society of St. Columban, the order where the captive priest belongs identified Fr. Sinnott. He said, consistent with the government policy of not paying ransom, the religious mission will not release money for the freedom of the kidnapped victim.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a separatist movement operating in Mindanao which tries to help bring back Fr. Sinnott announced a rescue is still the first option to free the Catholic religious missionary. MILF civil-military chief Eid Kabalu said the insurgents holding the hostage is a small group, but they carry deadly guns and ammunitions. (Photo Credit: Charlie Saceda) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "200 MILF negotiators for the release of Fr. Sinnott?" Posted by mesiamd at 11/04/2009

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PostHeaderIcon More than 100 Filipino seamen still on the hands of Somali pirates

4/20/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


Of more than 300 hostages pirates keep in captivity off the coast of Somalia, about a third of them are Filipino seamen. On Friday, April 17, 2009, 17 Filipinos have been released leaving about 105 still to be freed.

According to Philippine Foreign Affairs official Esteban Cornejos, a total of 227 Filipino seamen have been abducted in the sea off the Gulf of Aden in 2006 and they were released without government intervention. The country is a leading supplier of seafarers worlwide, numbering about 350,000 who serve as crews of oil carriers, luxury vessels, and passengers ships.

This time more than a hundred Filipino seamen are yet to be released from the clutches of Somali marauders. Malacanang Palace have decided to ban the deployment of Filipino mariners on ships that pass within 200 nautical miles or 300 kilometers from Somali coast.

In spite of the UN Security Councils adoption of Resolution 1838 since October last year calling on nations with boats in the area to use military force to halt piracy at sea, the kidnapping activities of Somali pirates for ransom continue. They have intensified attacks on shipping---causing travel to be more expensive and dangerous.

“Pirates have attacked more than 80 boats this year alone, four times the number assaulted in 2003, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based International Maritime Bureau. They now hold at least 18 ships — including a Belgian tanker seized Saturday with 10 crew aboard ”----AP/MSNBC (04/18/09)

The most recent is the attack on Saturday April 18, 2009, when a Norwegian vessel MV Front Ardenne was attacked by 7 Solmali pirates who were foiled after a 7 hour speed chase by NATO anti-piracy ships and helicopters from Canada and United States. (Photo Credits: Chris & Steve) =0=



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PostHeaderIcon Hostage negotiators in Mindanao can learn from the daring rescue of ship captain from Somali pirates

4/14/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


There are lessons to be learned from the rescue of Richard Phillips, the brave captain of the container ship Maersk Alabama, who was taken hostage by pirates in lifeboat drifting in the Indian Ocean during a five-day standoff of ransom extortion.

With the approval of Pres. Barack Obama, three Somali pirates watching Phillips were killed and one was captured last Sunday, April 12, 2009, during the rescue by the US navy sharpshooters. The pirates who tied the ship captain demanded $2 million for the release of the 53 year old Vermont native, one among 200 or more hostages still being held captives by pirates from a dozen ships in the coast of Somalia. Among the hostages had been Filipino seafarers.

As the angry pirates vow to avenge the slay of their companions, Pres. Obama calls for a concerted effort to stop piracy, seeking cooperation among nations. The continuing pirate activity in the Somali Coast revives the call to arm ship crews in commercial vessels.

“Somali officials said piracy started about 10 to 15 years ago as a response to illegal fishing. The country's tuna-rich waters were plundered by commercial fishing fleets soon after its government collapsed in 1991. Somali fishermen turned into armed vigilantes, confronting fishing boats and demanding they pay a tax. In 2008, more than 120 pirate attacks occurred in the Gulf of Aden, far more than in any other year in recent memory. Experts said the Somali pirates netted more than $100 million, an astronomical sum for a war-racked country whose economy is in tatters.”----Piracy at Sea, New York Times (04/13/09 )

The successful rescue of Phillips by intrepid US Navy Seals proves that a carefully planned and executed rescue is a viable option when the life of the hostage is in imminent danger and all negotiations to gain freedom fail.

Unsolved ICRC Hostage Crisis in the Philippines

Rescue operation becomes pressing in kidnapping situations in the Philippines as well. To date, two International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers are still being held in the hinterlands of Jolo Sulu. In Lamitan, Basilan, suspected members of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) beheaded one of two hostages they took during a raid in a Christian village and killed another civilian who crossed their path.

Abducted and held at gunpoint since January 2009, 62 year-old Italian Eugenio Vagni and 38 year-old Swiss Andreas Notter remain as captives of the notorious Abu Sayyaf who are reportedly demanding a $5 million for their release. The ICRC and the Philippine government still keep their no-ransom policy in dealing with these Muslim bandits.

Since their abduction in January 2009 by the notorious Al-Qaeda affiliated group, only Mary Jane Lacaba, another ICRC was released. The US embassy in Manila expressed willingness to help solve the hostage crisis, but military and government leaders feel they can solve the protracted standoff on their own. As the captivity of the humanitarian workers drag on, the risk of them being harmed or killed grows. Without paying a ransom, pretty soon authorities need to decide what to do in order to free the victims.(Photo Credit: Reuters/ Phillips family) =0=

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PostHeaderIcon Fighting between government troops versus Abu Sayyaf kidnappers brings 6 dead

3/17/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post


After unsuccessful negotiations to free the three International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC,) humanitarian workers who were abducted by the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, Philippines, a firefight erupted between the rebels and government forces bringing death to at least 3 kidnappers and 3 military men and hurting at least 19 soldiers. Albader Parad, the leader of the notorious kidnappers with links to Al-Qaeda was suspected to have been wounded in the gunfight.

The bloody encountry was sparked by armed Abu Sayyaf bandits who tried to cross the cordon set in the area by government forces.

Airing concern that the hostages--- Swiss Andreas Notter, Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba and Italian Eugenio Vagni must not be harmed, the head of ICRC Southeast Asia-Pacific operations Alain Aeschlimann said, “"Their safety is paramount. We repeat our call that no action should be taken that could put (their lives) in danger,"----Yahoo News/ AP (03/17/09, Gomez, J)

The kidnapped victims have been held since January 2009 by the Islamic extremists who seek the withdrawal of government troops from the area and insinuate on a payment of P50 million ransom. =0=

RELATED BLOG: "Abu Sayyaf kidnappers asks for P50 milllion ransom for ICRC workers" Posted by mesiamd at 3/12/2009

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PostHeaderIcon Abu Sayyaf kidnappers asks for P50 million ransom for ICRC workers

3/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

The notorious terror group Abu Sayyaf has finally demanded P50 million ransom as a condition to release the three humanitarian workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC.) This is according to Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema.

Many did not believe the earlier denials that all the Mindanao extremists wanted was for the military to pull out from their area of operation. As in the past, the public expects this group to ask for ransom. Two months after Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba were abducted and held hostage in the hinterlands of Jolo, Sulu, the terror group has finally been reported to be asking for ransom which the ICRC rejected.

The reason for the rejection is clear. It rewards acts of banditry. It encourages more kidnappings. Leaving the problem's resolution to the local crisis negotiators, the government has three options----ignore the demand and not to do anything, forcibly rescue the hostages, or pay the ransom. (Photo Credit: AFP/ ICRC file) =0=

RELATED BLOG: "Three kidnapped Red Cross workers still missing in Mindanao" Posted by mesiamd at 1/21/2009

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PostHeaderIcon After a protracted news blackout, an announcement that the Army is ready to storm the kidnappers’ lair?

3/03/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post
Since the three (3) International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) humanitarian workers where snatched in Jolo, Sulu by Muslim extremists, the Philippine military was clear in saying they were keeping a news black out to ensure that the kidnapped victims would not be harmed. Government officials thought of the safety of the abducted workers on the hands of their captors.

They made the people understand the delicate balance they had to do in securing the freedom of the abducted civilians. Undoubtedly, the victims' families and the ICRC officials understood the wisdom of keeping quiet. Giving ransom wasn't part of the plan.

“The ICRC staff -- Andreas Notter of Switzerland, Eugenio Vagni of Italy and Filipina Mary-Jean Lacaba -- were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf extremists on January 15… Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres on Monday said the kidnappers had not made any "clear demands" although previous Abu Sayyaf kidnappings involved millions of dollars in ransom. "We are keeping the pressure in the area but we have not yet conducted an actual rescue," Torres told reporters. "Our troops are there but there has not been any assault. They are on standby."----Inquirer/AFP (03/02/09)

After more than a month of silent negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf terrorists, Agence France-Presse (03/02/09) reported that the military is surrounding the positions of the Islamic militants in preparation for a rescue as told by Pres. spokesman Cerge Remonde in Malacanang. Troops are said to be getting ready to confront the kidnappers who are believed to have ties with the notorious Jemaah Islamiya (JI), a Moslem terrorist group operating in neighboring Indonesia.

Perhaps, exasperated by the kidnappers’ demand that the military must pull out of the area, Malacanang and the army have a change of mind. The captives have sent word of their suffering in the hinterlands of Mindanao. But why will the government and its military announce to the whole world that they are planning an attack? Are they planting confusing leads? Is it the most logical thing to do? Are they sure they have learned from the lessons of the past where a forcible rescue and too much talk led to the deaths of the kidnapped victims? Go figure. Announcing plans to the terrorists may not the best thing to do. (Photo Credit: Alvin Chan)=0=

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PostHeaderIcon Narcotics war in US-Mexican border worsens

2/12/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post
After 6,000 people died in drug related murders in Mexico last year, the slayings have no signs of stopping. Mexican police discovered five bullet-riddled vehicles on February 11, 2009 in a wave of killings that brought new fatalities, a result of gang violence escalating South of the border. Drug lords have become bolder to instill fear and challenge the government of President Felipe Calderon in his effort to curb the narcotics trafficking, drug cartels, kidnappings, and vendetta murders.

About 80 miles south of the border from El Paso, Texas, in Villa Ahumada, a small village of 1,500 people, fresh violence erupted. Last year, the town was virtually overrun by savage drug gangs last year when two consecutive police chiefs and two officers were murdered. For fear for their lives, the remaining 20 members of the police force quit their jobs. The Mexican military had to take over.

On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, nine individuals were kidnapped and six of them were believed to have been executed. A shoot-out which rescued three people resulted to the bloody death of seven gunmen and one police officer. -----Yahoo.News.com / AP (02/11/09, Watson, J)



Many citizens have died senselessly in the crossfire of gang violence. The rise in criminality is a cause of concern for United States and Mexico whose shared Southern border has been a favorite conduit of narcotics trade and serves as entry point for illegal aliens in North America.

With the slump of the economy in the United States, many Mexicans have lost their jobs and turned into drug trade and abductions for ransom. The dollar remittance of expatriate Mexicans which shore up their country's economy has slowed.

It is said that if the warring drug kingpins learn to get along, by joining forces, they have the strength to trash President Calderon's administration. Drug lords and their minions have increasing influence in Mexican society; their nefarious activities have crossed over the USA. There is real danger of chaos which can distabilize and bring down the government. (Photo Credit: Guachito Caletano; MashGet x 2) =0=



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PostHeaderIcon Hostage takers now demand $10 million ransom

2/09/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post
The modus operandi of the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers has unraveled just as expected. After three weeks of holding workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)--- Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Adreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, Abu Sayyaf through the Moro Islamic Libration Front (MILF) has stopped treating them as “guests.”

Just as expected, Albader Parad, leader of the notorious Abu Sayyaf kidnappers announced they are demanding $10 million ransom for the three innocent human beings who were there on a humanitarian work to benefit the Sulu prisoners. This extortion demand is more despicable when these criminals say, as in the past, the money is for the hostages’ “board and lodging” obligations.

This hideous development brings the kidnapping on a more difficult plane. Advocating a news blackout, the military has been so far helpless. The ICRC follows a no ransom policy in dealing with criminal elements. In line with the no-negotiation-no ransom policy of the government, the ICRC joins religious, student and community groups in denouncing the abductions and demand the release of the victims.

Kidnapping has been an anathema against peace and progress in the Southern Philippines where the Muslims are concentrated. Barbarism which masquerades as an opportunity to drum up sympathy for the Muslims only send in the message of lawlessness and lack of moral values of Islamic extemists. Hostage-taking has been a source of shame for the government and the Filipino people. (Photo Credit: AP/ Favila, A) =0=

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