Sayyaf free 2 captives for ‘token’

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Abu Sayyaf kidnappers freed their two victims Monday night in Sulu after reportedly being paid a “token,” an official said yesterday.

Rolando Benitez and Edmar Molina, mechanic and driver of town Mayor Munib Estino, were released along the highway in Patikul town shortly before 9 p.m. Monday, according to Amilbahar Amilasan, Presidential Assistant for Sulu.

However, military reports said the two victims escaped from their kidnappers.

Maj. Gen. Ruben Rafael, anti-terror Joint Task Force Comet chief, said continued pressure by Marines and Army troops gave the victims a chance to make a dash for freedom.

The two escaped at sitio Kaban-kaban, Barangay Wanni, Patikul, he said.

Rafael said the two victims are now undergoing debriefing by police and Task Force Comet agents after they were given medical attention.

“Revelation of the two victims during debriefing led us to dig deeper into the motive of politics and political armed groups involved, considering (that) political groups and vested interest groups are trying to revive disbanded civilian volunteers and carry firearms again,” he said.

No ransom was paid to the kidnappers, Rafael said.

However, an unimpeachable official source said P200,000 was given as “token” to the kidnappers in exchange for the liberty of the two victims. The kidnappers had earlier demanded a P5-million ransom.

The military and police could not confirm or deny the report but vowed to investigate the information.

“Whatever the version, the important thing is that the two victims have been safely recovered,” Amilasan said.

Marine wounded in Basilan fighting

Two Abu Sayyaf terrorists were killed and a Marine was wounded in a clash in Basilan yesterday morning, a military official said.

Lt. Col. Vincent Teodoro, Marine Battalion Landing Team 7 commander, said Marines raided a camp of the Abu Sayyaf band and their rogue allies from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Barangay Buhi Suyak in Ungkaya Pukan town.

“The encounter was sporadic, the firefight raged on and off until the afternoon,” he said.

Teodoro said the Abu Sayyaf was led by Furuji Indama, while the rogue MILF rebels were under two commanders, one of whom was identified only as Sopantan.

His men would be sent to reinforce the MBLT 7, he added.

Meanwhile, Amilasan appealed to authorities to continue searching for the whereabouts of a Filipino engineer working for a Jeddah-based scholarship coordinating foundation who went missing last Oct. 30.

Morced Tagitis, scholarship program coordinator of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), a Jeddah consortium based in Manila, arrived in Jolo last Oct. 30 and left his motel room and had not returned since, according to Amilasan.   – Roel Pareño, James Mananghaya