MLNF confirms NO negotiations for the IS western (Canadian) hostages in the Philippines. (MB).
Amid the election fever, a senior
leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has raised concern
over the welfare of at least five foreigners and some Filipinos still in
the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu.
“I don’t really know for sure, but it seems the government has forgotten the foreign and local hostages,” the MNLF leader, who asked not to be named, asserted.
He said the case of the hostages still being held by the ASG may have been lost in “the ongoing election campaign and the military offensive in Sulu.”
A Dutch bird watcher, Ewold Horn, is also among the foreign hostages
after he and Filipino colleague, Lorenzo Vinciguerra were abducted in
Tawi-Tawi four years ago. Vinciguerra has since been able to escape from
their captors.
There, too, is Italian Rolando del Torchio, a former priest who now owns a pizza parlor in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. He was kidnapped in October last year.
The MNLF leader said he believed that the foreign captives were all with various ASG sub-groups scattered in Sulu and are being dragged around in the jungles as the bandits try to elude relentless military offensives.
ASG sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, whose group is holding the four Samal Island captives, had earlier demanded a P3-billion ransom for the three foreigners, which he later reduced to P900 million.
“I don’t really know for sure, but it seems the government has forgotten the foreign and local hostages,” the MNLF leader, who asked not to be named, asserted.
He said the case of the hostages still being held by the ASG may have been lost in “the ongoing election campaign and the military offensive in Sulu.”
The foreign hostages
he was referring to include three foreigners – Canadians John Ridsel
and Robert Hall, and Canadian Kjartan Sekkingtad – and a Filipina,
Maritess Flor.
There, too, is Italian Rolando del Torchio, a former priest who now owns a pizza parlor in Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte. He was kidnapped in October last year.
The MNLF leader said he believed that the foreign captives were all with various ASG sub-groups scattered in Sulu and are being dragged around in the jungles as the bandits try to elude relentless military offensives.
ASG sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, whose group is holding the four Samal Island captives, had earlier demanded a P3-billion ransom for the three foreigners, which he later reduced to P900 million.
He said he spoke with them and asked if there was any ongoing negotiation or effort to secure the hostages’ freedom.“My friends told me that, at present, there was no negotiation,” the MNLF leader in Sulu said. Hmmm......It seems saving Canadian hostages is not on Trudeau's priority list. Read the full story here.
Related:
Related:
Militants in Philippines demand huge ransom for kidnapped Canadians
HT And Source:
#MLNF confirms NO negotiations 4 the #AbuSayyaf/ #IslamicState western hostages #Philippines https://t.co/swd6ZjXOOE pic.twitter.com/9R5Ct5fK6w— TRACterrorism.org (@TRACterrorism) February 26, 2016
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