Freed sisters reunite with brother in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Kidnap victims Nadjoua Bansil and her younger sister Linda were finally reunited with their brother yesterday after they were recovered late Thursday by government troops in a remote village in Patikul, Sulu.

The Filipino-Algerian sisters, who worked as documentary filmmakers, were snatched by the Abu Sayyaf and held captive for eight months.

They were reunited with their brother Mohammed, who arrived at the hospital via a Navy boat from Sulu.

Nadjoua was also reunited with her pet cat Juanita, which she requested Mohammed to bring along.

Information on how the sisters were recovered was not immediately made public by the authorities, pending debriefing on the circumstances of their release and captivity.

It was not immediately clear if the sisters escaped or were freed by the Abu Sayyaf, who were earlier demanding ransom.

The Bansil sisters were presented by their brother in a press briefing at the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) yesterday to assure the pubic they were alive and safe.

However, Mohammed requested media to spare his sisters from any interview and to give them time to rest.

Mohammed said he had informed their mother that he already has custody of his two sisters.

The sisters, despite wearing their masturah (Islamic dress) and nijab (full face veils) appeared to have lost weight and were apparently weak and haggard.

When asked by newsmen whether ransom was paid, Mohammed said he was not aware of any ransom, and what he knew was that his sisters were recovered by government troops.

“In terms of what I know, the troops were conducting a patrol in the area when they chanced upon them (his sisters). Apparently their captors hurriedly left and abandoned them where the troops later found them,” he said.

Nadjoua, 39, and her younger sister Linda, 36, were recovered by troops at Sitio Kantatang, Barangay Buhaginan in Patikul town around 5 p.m. Thursday.

The Bansil sisters were snatched on June 22, 2013 at Sitio Baunuh, Barangay Liang, Patikul town by the Abu Sayyaf.

They were working on a documentary film, “Coffee Armalite,” showcasing the Muslim culture on native coffee and bearing firearms when they were abducted by Abu Sayyaf gunmen led by Aljini Mundoc alias Ninok Sapari.

Westmincom commander Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero said he was convinced that the sisters’ freedom was a result of the joint effort of the local government and the Marines in the area.

While there were reports of P50-million ransom demand in July last year, Marine Capt. Ryan Lacuesta, the leader of the troops that recovered the sisters, said it was not clear if money had changed hands.

Constant military assaults and search operations had put pressure on the kidnappers to let go of their captives, he said.

Guerrero, for his part, stressed the freedom of the Bansil sisters was the result of the combined efforts of local officials and the military.

Guerrero said before the sisters were recovered, the Abu Sayyaf group and their captives were monitored frequenting the area.

“So that’s it. We just took the chance and waited for them for the past several weeks and that was realized yesterday (Thursday),” he said.

The Bansil sisters said at the news conference that they were not harmed during their eight months in captivity. They lamented though that they were tired, constantly moving to evade pursuing government troops.

They said they were fed rice, dried fish and root crops and often were detained in a hut.

Nadjoua added they walked for six hours before they were seen by the soldiers.

The sisters, however, did not elaborate, and it was not clear if the two had been freed by their abductors or if they escaped.

Lacuesta said when a marine patrol approached the area late Thursday, their young guards ran away and the women dashed to freedom.

The sisters were born in Algeria to an Algerian mother and a Filipino father but grew up in the Philippines, where they have produced independent films.

The Bansil sisters said they will continue their filmmaking but would have to rest for a while to recover from their traumatic experience.

Mohammed said they might be staying overnight Friday before flying back to their home in Manila.

The recovery of the Bansil sisters left the Abu Sayyaf with four other captives, including two European bird watchers.

At least six other kidnap victims have been separately held captive also by the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan and Zamboanga peninsula.

The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for numerous terror attacks as well as kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos, often demanding hefty ransoms.

Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista ordered the rescue of the remaining hostages of the Abu Sayyaf and sustained operations against the bandit group. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Alexis Romero, AP