PNP: Sayyaf got P20-M from Palawan hostages

Abu Sayyaf terrorists who swooped down on the posh Dos Palmas resort in Palawan on May 27 last year and kidnapped 20 guests and employees reportedly raked in at least P20 million in ransom payments.

A special report by the Philippine National Police (PNP) unwrapped during a recent command conference contradicted earlier claims by Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, who insisted that no money changed hands in line with the government’s no-ransom policy.

The PNP report indicated that at least nine of the 20 Abu Sayyaf hostages paid varying amounts in exchange for their freedom. The conference tackled strategies to stamp out kidnapping which has been on the rise in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon.

Among those who allegedly bought back their freedom for P3 million were real estate businessman Reghis Romero and his friend Rissa Santos, although they were earlier believed to have been "rescued" during a clash between the Abu Sayyaf and pursuing soldiers in Lamitan town in Basilan.

The skirmish took place as the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers and their hostages were holed up at the Jose Torres Memorial Hospital on June 2.

The family of child captive RJ Recio and his father, travel writer Luis Raul "Buddy" de Guzman Recio, also shelled out P200,000 for their safe release, the report stated.

RJ testified on Friday at a Senate hearing that their captors led him, Romero and Santos out of the hospital.

Another hostage, Janice Go, was released on June 8 after paying P250,000 to the Abu Sayyaf, the report said.

Other ransom payments allegedly covered Francis and Teresita Guanzon who were freed on June 16 after paying P1 million, Lalaine Cruz, released on June 15 for P6 million, and Letty and Kimberly Jao, freed on June 16 to the tune of P10 million.

Other victims were released after paying unspecified amounts to the Abu Sayyaf.

Of the 20 hostages from Dos Palmas, only two remain in captivity. They are American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kansas.

Filipina nurse Deborah Yap, who was captured in Lamitan on June 2, is also still being held by the Abu Sayyaf in their jungle lair at the Sampinit complex in central Basilan.

A third American, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded by the bandits in June as an "Independence Day" gift to the Arroyo government.

The STAR obtained a copy of the letter written by Lalaine Chua’s family to President Arroyo, which expressed their "heartfelt gratitude" for the rescue of their daughter and other hostages. The letter mentioned paying P6 million for Lalaine’s freedom.

Reyes belies PNP report

Reyes belied the PNP report as he challenged Sen. Panfilo Lacson to show proof that some government and military officials partook of the ransom payments to the Abu Sayyaf.

In a statement, Reyes also gave assurances of cooperation of the military officials implicated by Lacson in alleged connivance with the Abu Sayyaf abductors.

"I’m very anxious to find out the final results of the investigation. We are hoping that the investigation will soon be completed for the people to know the truth behind these allegations," Reyes said.

During Friday’s Senate hearing, Lacson claimed he has a witness who will testify that ransoms were paid for the release of some of the Dos Palmas hostages during the clash in Lamitan.

Lacson also tagged Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao as among those involved in the ransom negotiations, saying two of the negotiators were closely identified with him.

But Reyes maintained no money changed hands. "I am positive, I am certain, I’m convinced that there was no (ransom) payment."

"If somebody will make accusations, they better prove it and prove it convincingly," he stressed.

Reyes urged the House and Senate committees on national defense which conducted the inquiry to immediately release the result of their investigations on the alleged ransom payments "in order to let the citizenry know the truth behind the allegations."

The PNP also reported that other kidnap groups amassed P18.8 billion in ransom payments from 168 victims last year. Some of the payments were made in US and Singapore dollars for foreign victims.

Among these were the abductions by the dreaded Pentagon gang, one of whose victims, Chinese engineer Zhang Zhong Quiang, was killed during a rescue operation by government forces.

Police said the Pentagon has earned about $4 million, or roughly P212 million in ransom payments.

Other foreign victims included Taiwanese trader Robert Ching who was seized by armed men on Feb. 5 last year at the Luneta.

Ching was reportedly freed 11 days later after his family paid $400,000. The case remains unsolved as the Ching family has relocated to the US.

Of the 168 people snatched last year, 86 were released on ransom payments, while 50 were rescued by the military and the police. At least 15 others were murdered by their captors while seven managed to escape.

Out of the 100 kidnap cases recorded last year, at least 63 were considered solved and 37 unsolved.

A senior PNP official attributed the rise of kidnapping for ransom cases to the shift of other criminal groups to kidnapping which they find to be "operationally easier as they amass millions of pesos."

A total of 178 members of kidnap-for-ransom groups were arrested, while 63 cases have been filed in court against them.

Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., chief of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force, has recommended the liberalization of the firearms law to allow more civilians to carry guns for their own protection.