Lanao gov urges kidnappers to release victims

MUNAI, Lanao del Norte — Lanao de Norte Gov. Imelda Dimaporo and the relatives of the remaining three kidnap victims yesterday asked the abductors to release them in the spirit of the Ramadan season.

They appealed to the abductors of Rodiardo Abe-Abe, Bonifacio Kalibo and Jingky Paglinawan, all linemen of Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Laneco) to release them without harm during the Ramadan season.

The fourth victim, Victor Aguaviva, managed to escape from their abductors a day after they were kidnapped in Barangay Balintad here last week.

"I appeal to the kidnappers of my husband to release him and his companions in the spirit of Ramadan," said one of the wives of the victims in the Visayan dialect.

On the other hand, Dimaporo told the abductors, in the Maranao dialect, that kidnapping was a shameful act to the Muslim community.

"If you (abductors) have complaints on the bad road conditions in this town, these are already being attended to by the provincial government and the municipal government," the governor said.

She added that Munai town, which is the site of the former Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) Camp Bilal ravaged during the 2000 war, is one of the pilot areas of government rehabilitation and basic services projects through the Kalahi-Comprehensive, Integrated Delivery of Social Service (CIDSS).

Dimaporo said it is the government’s policy not to give any ransom for the release of kidnap victims.

It was indicated in earlier negotiations led by Munai town Mayor Casan Maquiling that the kidnappers were asking for an unspecified amount of ransom in exchange for the release of the victims.

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (GRP-MILF) Ad Hoc Joint Action group is supporting the group that is conducting the negotiations for the release of the victims.

In the past, kidnapping incidents here and in Lanao del Sur were settled through negotiations and the giving of a "board and lodging fee," a euphemism used for the money given to kidnappers in exchange for the victims’ release.