Abus demand P50-million ransom for 6 foreigners

MANILA, Philippines - The terrorist group Abu Sayyaf is currently holding six foreign nationals in the province of Sulu and demanding P50-million ransom for the release of two European captives, sources in the intelligence community said yesterday.

One of the sources said that the terror group has split the hostages into three groups of two hostages each to derail any rescue attempts by military ground forces in the province.

The foreign hostages were identified as Swiss national Lorenzo Vinsiguerra, Dutch Ewold Horn, Australian Warren Rodwell, Japanese Toshio Ito, Indian Biju Veetil, and an unnamed captive.

“The Abu Sayyaf are now demanding P50-million ransom for their Swiss and Dutch hostages,” the source bared, adding that the group already collected P1.5 million from the family of kidnapped Malaysian Mohammad Nasaruddin Bensaidin, who was recently released.

Heavily armed men snatched Vinsiguerra and Horn while they were on a bird watching expedition in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi last February.

The two were initially kept in an undisclosed place in Tawi-Tawi before their abductors turned them over to the Abu Sayyaf group in Sulu.

Rodwell, a retired Australian Army man, was inside his house in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay province on Dec. 5 last year when unidentified armed men barged in and took him away at gunpoint.

He was later moved to Basilan before his kidnappers transferred him to another group in Sulu and eventually turned him over to the Abu Sayyaf based in the province.

Ito, a Japanese trader who converted to Islam, was snatched on July 16, 2010 in Pangutaran Island.

Nothing was heard from him until he was monitored recently to be under heavy guard by the terrorists.

Contrary to reports that the Abu Sayyaf had already executed their Indian hostage Veetil, the source, citing contacts on the ground, said the victim is still alive.

Veetil, married to a Filipina, was snatched in June last year while visiting his in-laws in Barangay Tempok, Patikul town.

The source added that the Abu Sayyaf are also holding another unnamed foreign national in their jungle lair.

“Most of the kidnapped victims that were snatched in other areas, including those coming from mainland Zamboanga, have been consolidated by their Abu Sayyaf abductors in Sulu,” the source said.