EDITORIAL — A kidnap for ransom?

The latest alarming news to come out of Mindanao is the kidnapping of American national Elliot Onil Eastman who was snatched by armed men in Sibuco Town, Zamboanga del Norte, last Thursday night.

According to reports, one of the men who took the content creator, who is married to a Filipina and has been living in Sibuco Town for the past five months, was wearing a police uniform.

As of this writing no one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, so as much as we hate to use this phrase authorities are still facing a blank wall in this case.

Recent kidnappings in Mindanao have become a black eye for the Philippines in front of the international community. Especially when the kidnappers brag about their achievements and especially when it seems our authorities always have a hard time rescuing the hostages.

We remember names like Martin and Garcia Burnham, and Guillermo Sobero, among others, who have been taken against their will and displayed by terrorists for the foreign press to see.

Despite the description of one of the abductors, we are keen to give our lawmen the benefit of the doubt on this one. Then there is also the report that Eastman reported receiving threats to his life prior to his abduction.

However, we do hope this isn’t a kidnapping for ransom by Abu Sayyaf bandits or any such group. Because that would again mean that such groups have established a base of support among the populace and, worse, that they have become emboldened enough again to carry out such operations.

And if one terror group sees another terror group successfully conduct a kidnapping operation it might inspire them to commit similar actions.

It’s also worth mention that another thing that might give them courage is how slow justice grinds in this country and how 11 Abu Sayyaf bandits responsible for the 2000 kidnappings in Sipadan were convicted only recently.

If this is indeed a case of kidnap for ransom by terrorists or bandits, authorities must remedy the situation immediately.