3 more Malaysians regain freedom
Army says hostages rescued, but mayor counters military story
Officials are rejoicing over the freedom regained by three Malaysian tugboat crewmen, who had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf. But were the captives rescued or released? The military credited the good news to its relentless raids, but the mayor of the town where the captives were freed said there had been no military operations in the area.
After nine months in captivity, three Malaysians were freed by their Abu Sayyaf captors in Sulu on Monday.
But Maj. Gen. Carlito Galvez, head of the Army’s Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom), said the three Malaysians—Mohammad Ridzuan bin Ismael, Mohammad Jumadil bin Rahim and Fandy bin Bakran—were rescued in the town of Panglima Estino in Sulu on Sunday night.
Galvez made the announcement during “People’s Day,” where residents receive government social services, in Barangay Macalang here yesterday.
“They are physically OK compared to the two who were earlier freed,” Galvez said.
Last week, two other kidnapped Malaysians were freed by their captors.
The five Malaysians were crew members of Tugboat Serudong 3. They were snatched by armed men off the water of Sabah and Tawi-Tawi on July 18 last year.
Col. Cirilito Sobejana, head of the antiterror Joint Task Group Sulu, said the captors of the Malaysians were forced to let go of their captives after days of relentless military search-and-rescue operations by sea, air and land.
Mayor’s version
But Panglima Estino Mayor Ben Estino denied the military’s claim.
“Therewas no rescue effort or military operation,” Estino said.
He said the three Malaysians were freed after a series of negotiations.
“They were released in Barangay Tuyang in Talipao town,” the mayor said.
“Our place is peaceful. We don’t have Abu Sayyaf or armed men here,” he added.
“With that erroneous claim, the military can easily launch a military operation in an area where innocent people are living peacefully,” he said.
Galvez said the Malaysians were to be taken to Zamboanga City for media presentation.
Col. Said Fazly, team leader of the Malaysian contingent of the International Monitoring Team, told the Inquirer that they were “pleased by this good news.”
“We are thankful and grateful to the Philippine government and the Philippine Armed Forces for assisting and securing the release of our people,” Fazly said.
“All the five kidnapped Malaysians are now fully accounted for, and we hope that they will be the last,” he added.
Embarrassment
The three men released on Mondaywere the last Malaysians in captivity by the Abu Sayyaf, which has its roots in separatism but engages mostly in banditry.
It has proven a formidable opponent for the military, with its small, agile and wellequipped network entrenched in the jungles of Basilan and Jolo, from which they prey on slow cargo boats.
It has gained a reputation as one of the world’s most brutal groups, delivering on its promises to behead hostages for whom ransoms were not paid before a deadline. Among its victims in the past eight months were a German and two Canadians.
Netherlands, Indonesian, Filipino and Japanese citizens are among those still held.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recently described Abu Sayyaf’s kidnappings as a national embarrassment.
The government is concerned that hardliners in the group have been in contact with extremists in the Middle East with a view to setting up Islamic State cells in the restive south of the vast archipelago nation.