Basilan school executive's kidnappers lower ransom

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – Suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits have reduced their ransom demand from P20 million to P3.5 million for the release of an executive of the Basilan State College, a provincial official said yesterday.

The Abu Sayyaf has also lifted up its ultimatum imposed last Friday on the life of Dr. Orlando Fajardo, vice president for academic affairs of the Basilan State College, following the intervention of the Crisis Management Committee (CMC), Basilan Vice Gov. Al-Rasheed Sakalahul said.

Sakalahul has remained in Al-Barka town to personally oversee the possible early release of Fajardo.

“We are happy that we continue to slowly convince the kidnappers because what we really want here is the safe release of the victim if possible without any monetary consideration because we strictly adhere to the government’s no-ransom policy,” he said.

Sakalahul said his emissaries continued to negotiate with Fajardo’s kidnappers, although he could not immediately say if the college executive would be freed anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Sakalahul said there has been no contact with the kidnappers of two Chinese nationals and a scion of a political clan in Zamboanga del Norte, who also remain in captivity in Basilan.

He said the kidnappers of Bo Shung Tan alias Michael Tan and Zi Shun Lu alias Oscar Lu have been evading any contact with the CMC and have been directly calling their employer, a certain Jorge Tan, operator of the Hi-Tech Wood Craft Co. based in Maluso town.

Tan and Lu, who allegedly entered Basilan with expired documents, were seized along with Filipino machine technician Mark Singson last Nov. 10.

Singson, however, was beheaded early this month after his employer failed to pay a P1.5-million ransom.

Sakalahul said the kidnappers of Donald John Capili, 19, of Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, have also stopped communicating with the victim’s family after insisting on a huge ransom.