Babe's Eye View article

There were a lot of suspicions from day one that Idanan mayor Alvarez Isnaji and son Haider somehow had a hand in the kidnapping of ABS-CBN anchor Ces Drilon and her camera crew. The warning signs were blinking even before Drilon reached Maimbung town where they were taken hostage.

The way Drilon was lured into a supposed interview with Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron already carried with it signs of betrayal. The Abu Sayyaf has a track record of luring high-profile personalities into their lair. It happened once before to GMA-7 reporter Susan Enriquez and a number of journalists.

Unless the question why the Abu Sayyaf chose the Isnajis to negotiate for the release of Drilon, suspicion will have to hang over the head of the mayor of Indanan and his son. Journalists on the scene saw how Ces Drilon and her team, while being interviewed during their release, refused to look at or talk to the Isnajis, who were seated right across the group. One doesn’t have to be a Silicon Valley whiz kid to figure out there was something fishy in that.

If the Isnajis were the heroes in this real-life kidnapping drama, then it was expected of Drilon to rush to the side of the Isnajis during the group’s release. But that did not happen. When the Philippine National Police (PNP) finally declared the Isnajis as suspects in the kidnapping, not even the man on the street batted an eyelash.

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is trained in the strategies of war, violence and crime—and “betrayal” is a key tactic. While it is true that these brigands are brutal savages, the ASG is not your run-of-the-mill, empty-headed gang of trigger-happy pickpockets. These are well trained outlaws.

Numerous intelligence reports point to its leaders as having fought in Afghanistan, trained in handling arms and explosives in Libya, and are well funded by foreign Islamic terrorist groups. Its roots in the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) had taught them to use “betrayal” to accomplish their schemes.

To recall, in the late 70s, a local MNLF leader invited some members of the armed forces for a peaceful dialogue. When the contingent arrived, an ambush was staged and Gen. Teodulfo Bautista and 33 of his young soldiers were gunned down mercilessly by the group.

The ASG is brutal to its “guests”, too. That’s why Ces Drilon and two of her camera crew are fortunate to be alive and lived to tell the tale of their abduction. Other hostages weren’t as lucky. Apparently, beheading is the group’s terror tactic of choice, coupled with “acts” Ces Drilon can only describe in her first interview since the abduction as “perverse”.

A businessman was so moved by Ces Drilon’s account that he said, “Someone ought to salvage those savages!” Obviously, from being a hard-line kidnap-for-ransom gang, the ASG went even lower to being savages with its long list of betrayals, beheadings, rapes and murder.

Ces Drilon and her team weren’t the first to feel the brunt of the group’s fury. The group’s initial terror campaign in the 1990s saw the ASG kidnapping more than 20 local and foreign journalists, including: GMA-7 reporter Susan Enriquez; ABS-CBN’s Maan Macapagal and cameraman Val Cuenca; Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Arlyn de la Cruz; GMA-7 reporter Carlo Lorenzo and cameraman Gilbert Ordiales; and more than 10 foreign correspondents. But why kidnap journalists? Simple. High-profile personalities give the ASG more than enough media exposure.

The Abu Sayyaf follows the scent of money. It will do everything for a quick buck. One report said the group posted a video in the Internet with its leaders appealing in Arabic for funding. Kidnapping is the bread-and-butter of the ASG aside from foreign support.

In the Sipadan crisis, it was reported that US$20 million in ransom loot had been spread out to members of the Abu Sayyaf, their sympathizers, families, and allegedly “some officials” for their “cut” of the pie, and who served as “money changers”. The appeal of ransom money to the tune of P15 million for the release of Drilon has recently spurred many young Mindanaoans to consider a career in kidnapping. ASG founder Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani reportedly said the ASG is an MNLF splinter group inspired by Osama bin Laden himself.

There is no other way to solve this problem but through a strong and steady military offensive. Let’s face it. This is one fire we have to fight with a bigger, more ferocious fire. One bold move after the other: this is the real nut and bolt of a successful military campaign.

We should also look into policies that can safeguard journalists working in unsafe regions of the country. The lines may be hard to define considering that as a free country the people have the right to know. But I agree that no story is worth a journalist’s life. We should all take our cue from that wise adage.

I received a lot of text messages discrediting the effort of Loren Legarda in this crisis. The smear campaign for the 2010 elections has apparently started. Knowing Loren, she has real concern for her fellow journalists. Ces Drilon was clear about that. There was no one she could call for help except the senator. Loren Legarda served as a lifeline that kept Drilon’s spirits up during the harrowing experience.

I totally agree that a humanitarian and development initiative must be conducted soon, but we first have to deal with these brigands. No effort at progress will stand while the ASG is flaunting its claws and fangs. Raul Gonzales’ summons to “Take no prisoners” can well be applied to savages such as the Abu Sayyaf.