Estrada visit to see release of Pelaez?

MARAWI CITY — Government leaders here have doubled their efforts to seek the release of kidnap victims Enrico Pelaez and Rachel Ann Valmoria in time for the scheduled arrival of President Estrada in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mahid Mutilan, however, lamented that the situation has been muddled by some politicians trying to make their own negotiations even as the Pelaez family had already designated Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano as the principal negotiator.

The slow pace of the negotiation is also caused by the observance of the holy month of Ramadan and fasting period of the Muslims, Mutilan added.

Local leaders and the PNP here are trying to meet a deadline before Tuesday to coincide the release of the victims with the President’s visit in Cagayan de Oro City to receive some 600 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels who have surrendered.

Enrico Pelaez, son of former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez, was snatched by unidentified men at the Ecology Village, Gusa, Cagayan de Oro City last Nov. 23.

The other kidnap victim, Rachel Ann Valmoria, a nurse, was abducted in Barangay Carmen in Cagayan de Oro City last Nov. 21.

Both victims are believed being hidden together somewhere in Lanao del Sur. Authorities did not say that the abductions were done by one group but theorized that once the victims were brought to Lanao del Sur, they were turned over to another group who will do the negotiations. — Lino de la Cruz