Freed Basilan principal seeks transfer to Sibugay

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Her one-month captivity in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf has been traumatic for Basilan elementary school principal Cecilia Sosas and now she wants to be transferred to forget the ordeal.

Sosas, who was brought here prior to her flight to Manila for a meeting with Education Secretary Armin Luistro, said there is only one thing she would request – her transfer to Alicia town in Zamboanga Sibugay. 

“As much as possible I don’t want to report there; it is very dangerous,” said Sosas, principal of Baas Elementary School in Barangay Baas, Lamitan town. 

Sosas was freed Tuesday by her Abu Sayyaf captors after payment of P200,000 “board and lodging” fee, a local euphemism for ransom.

Although she feels sad in leaving her students and teachers, Sosas said her safety is continuously threatened, as teachers have remained as targets of the Abu Sayyaf and kidnap gangs.

She said one of her kidnappers warned that they would continue to target Christian teachers if they would not be replaced by their Muslim counterparts. 

“They warned that next time they would already harm their captive,” she said.

Sosas described her captivity as her worst experience, as she had to sleep on the grass or pavement and had to be moved by her captors from one place to another to elude pursuing policemen or soldiers.

She recalled that her captors would sometimes tie her to a tree to prevent her from escaping. 

Sosas said though her kidnappers did not harm her during her entire captivity. “I always appealed to my captors just treat me as their elder sister,” she added. 

Police and military officials in Basilan assured teachers and civilians, too, of their safety and promised to prevent similar incidents in the future.