Gov't gears up for rescue ops as German ASG captives appeal for release

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Monday that government troops have mounted search operations to locate and rescue the two German nationals held captive by the Abu Sayyaf group in the jungle of Sulu.

Gazmin told newsmen here in a briefing that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were exhausting all measures to track down the location of captive Germans Dr. Stefan Viktor Okonek, 74, and Henrite Dielen, 42, who were abducted last April.

He said the local government and civilian leaders of Sulu were also assisting the government forces to ensure the safety of the hostages. 

The Abu Sayyaf militants have demanded a P250-million ransom and called on Germany to stop supporting the United States in its strike campaign against the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and issued an 11-day ultimatum before murdering the two German captives.

Abu Ramin, the self-proclaimed spokesman of the Abu Sayyaf group Al-Harakatul Al-Islamiyah, on Monday issued the statement during his contact with local radio station DXRZ of the Radio Mindanao Network.

Ramin also allowed their German captives to make their appeals.

Abu Ramin warned they were giving the Germany and Philippine governments until October 10 to comply with their demands. 

“If these demands will not be met we will decide on the fate of the two hostages,” Ramin said.

Okonek and Dielen said their condition in the Abu Sayyaf continues to worsen and they were not sure how long they can withstand the situation.

“We're sailing on our sailboat and unfortunately I was taken hostage from my sailboat and now I have to lie on the ground, sleep on the ground, it's wet due to daily rain… my medical condition is worse that I fear for myself. Hopefully, our government can probably have us freed,” Okonek said briefly.

Dielen said their situation continued to get stressful and she feared of possible tropical diseases like malaria.

“We appeal the Philippine and German government do all (they) can because we're living in difficult situation… the situation here is very, very stressful… we are not sure how long we can cope... The jungle is also very dangerous… tropical disease like malaria,” Dielen said.

Okonek and Dielen were sailing aboard their yacht when they were seized by the Abu Sayyaf militants somewhere in Rio Tubbataha near Palawan some time in the middle of April and were brought to Sulu where they were held captive.

“What we were doing is the continuous verification of this information. At tinutunton kung saan sila makikita, at ginagawa ang lahat ng AFP at PNP at lahat ng mga taong tumulong ng sa ganoon hindi malagay sa alanganin 'yong dalawang bihag,” Gazmin said.

Gazmin said the target of the operation is to recover all the hostages including the two European bird watchers, Dutch Elwold Horn and Swiss Lorenzo Vinceguerre; a member of the Malaysia maritime police; a Chinese mother and daughter; and a Japanese named Toshio Ito alias Mamaito Katayama.

Ito was then 63 years old and has been residing in Sulu when he was abducted last July 16, 2010 from his house in Barangay Bangkilay, Pangutaran town.

AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang said the AFP will not be pressured by the deadline set by the Abu Sayyaf group, but additional Army Forces have been deployed in Sulu to run after the Abu Sayyaf group and rescue the hostages. At least two Army battalions were deployed in Sulu for the operation.

“As long as we are doing everything they can be rescued. But they can be collateral damage which of course we don’t want to happen,” Catapang said.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said they are working on interventions to secure the hostages.

“We have measures adopted. I cannot reveal the details but we’re working on it,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero said the additional troops put more pressure against the Abu Sayyaf and improve the security environment in Sulu and other parts of Western Mindanao.