This issue, according to highly reliable sources, is dividing the captors of South Korean Jae Keon Yoon, thus stalling negotiations for his release.
The sources said Jae’s kidnappers are at loggerheads over whether they should free the foreigner without any condition or they should insist on a P20-million ransom.
Jae and his Filipino business partner, hotelier Carlos Belonio, were seized by "lost command" members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front, led by one Commander Tropical, last Feb. 6 while searching for nickel deposits at the boundary of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat and Maitum, Sarangani.
Belonio was freed after 51 days in captivity in Malapatan, Sarangani. Palimbang Mayor Labualas Mamansual led the negotiations for his release.
Last month, the group of Commander Tropical met with a group of South Korean businessmen in Cotabato City.
But sources said Tropical’s group was forced to turn Jae over to former MILF commander Tigre Jakiri, who has more followers operating in Palimbang and Maitum, due to mounting ground and air operations by the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade.
The sources said Muslim elders and village officials led by Kamaludzanan Mosadi, head of Barangay Mindupok in Maitum town, managed to convince the kidnappers to release Jae without any ransom.
The sources, however, could not say which faction of Jae’s captors, has been insistent on the payment of ransom.
Senior Superintendent Cesar Daquil, however, is hopeful that Jae will be freed without ransom anytime this week.
Daquil said the government will strictly adhere to the no-ransom policy in the negotiations.
Jae is reportedly being kept in a mountain village at the boundary of Barangays Mindupok and Molon in Palimbang town.