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Justice For Kidnap Victims
September 20th, 2016 | 08:33 AM | 1440 views
MANILA
Duterte: I assure you ... I will inform you that we have been able to catch up with the Abu Sayyaf
President Duterte has promised to give justice to kidnap victims of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
“I assure you … when the time comes, I will inform you that we have been able to catch up with them (ASG),” Duterte told Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad at a press conference Sunday night in Davao City, where he received the Abu Sayyaf hostage.
“I will say this now: Your travails in life are over,” the President added.
Sekkingstad was one of four people seized by the Islamist militant group from a posh resort in Samal Island Sept. 21 last year. He finally walked free Saturday after a year-long captivity by the ASG in Sulu.
TASTE OF FREEDOM – Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad (left) is treated to a packed meal, consisting of rice and chicken adobo, on the flight to Davao City with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza (right) after his release from his Abu Sayyaf captors Saturday night in Sulu. (Malacañang Photo / Manila Bulletin)
TASTE OF FREEDOM – Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad (left) is treated to a packed meal, consisting of rice and chicken adobo, on the flight to Davao City with Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza (right) after his release from his Abu Sayyaf captors Saturday night in Sulu.
(Malacañang Photo / Manila Bulletin)
Two of his companions, Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall were both beheaded by the ASG in April and June, respectively, after ransom demand of P300 million was not met. Kessingstad’s partner, Filipina Maritess Flor, on the other hand, was also released by the local terror group in June.
Before Sekkingstad was presented to President Duterte, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza fetched him from the camp of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Nur Misuari, who received the Norwegian from his captors last Saturday.
Dureza said that aside from the Norwegian national, they were also able to recover three Indonesian hostages who were likewise released by the ASG.
In his speech, the President said: “Until such time that we get the… they want raw justice, we will give them if that’s what they want.”
Duterte thanked Dureza, Misuari, and former Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan whom he said were instrumental for the release of the remaining Samal hostage.
“I would like to thank the efforts beyond human patience of Sec. Dureza and of course Nur Misuari who all along assured us that he would need time but he would succeed… And I would like to thank, of course, Sakur Tan, the former governor of Sulu,” said Duterte. He disclosed that he gave them “the full authority to negotiate” the release of the Sekkingstad.
“It was a long, long negotiation. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve talked to Misuari even in the Cabinet meetings, I have him called and he assured me that we would be able to recover alive and well Kjartan (Sekkingstad) and so here we are. So the efforts actually belong to Misuari, Dureza, and Sakur Tan,” he said.
The successful negotiation that led to the victim’s release, the President said, is “the best thing that happened this week because we were able to fulfill our promise to Norway, which is giving us a space to talk vis-a-vis with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).”
According to Duterte, Norway has provided good offices to several countries for so many conflicts and that he “salute the country for being peaceful.” The President likewise narrated that earlier, he was joking with the Norwegian Ambassador, “You are the descendants of the Vikings who are fierce fighters. If there is a group there still remaining, could you just bring them here and we’ll let them loose somewhere in Basilan?”
Duterte ended his speech by saying that terrorism is the next battle of the century.
Meanwhile, another Indonesian was released Sunday night, together with two Filipino telecommunications technicians.
Hernan Bin Manggak, 38, was released at an undisclosed place in Panglima Estino, Sulu, Sunday night. Also released were Filipino telecommunications technicians Daniella Taruc, 26, and Levi Gonzales, 33.
There were no reports if ransom was paid for the release of Taruc and Gonzales.
Last Saturday, the ASG also released Indonesian fishermen Lorence Koten, Teo Doros Kofong, and Emmanuel Arakian whom they kidnapped on July 9 at Lahad Datu, Sabah, in exchange for a P20-million ransom. They were released by the group of ASG leader Alhabsi Misaya.
Army Major Felimon I. Tan Jr., spokesman of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), said the release of the hostages was the direct result of sustained military operations against the bandit group since last month. (With reports from Nonoy E. Lacson and Francis T. Wakefield)
Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN
by Elena L. Aben
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