Abus lower ransom demand for resort owner

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Abu Sayyaf militants holding captive a Filipino-Chinese resort and restaurant owner in Basilan have lowered their ransom demand following continuous appeals, according to a crisis manager yesterday. 

This, as the military continued to mount the operation against the Abu Sayyaf in a separate area, which local leaders believed partly to pressure the militants into releasing the captive. 

Basilan Vice Gov. Al-Rasheed Sakalahul, provincial crisis management committee (CMC) chairman, said an Abu Sayyaf who identified himself as Puruji Indama called him Monday and informed that the P20 million ransom has been reduced to P5 million in exchange for the release of Hilario de los Santos alias Larry Font.

“The alleged kidnapper, who called up and introduced himself as Puruji Indama, has lowered their ransom,” Sakalahul said. However, Sakalahul said he could not immediately confirm if the caller was the same guy as Indama, a dreaded Abu Sayyaf leader who was behind the abduction of De los Santos. 

De los Santos, owner of the The Font Restaurant and Farmland Mountain Resort in Isabela City, was abducted by Indama and 10 of his followers while disguising themselves as drug enforcement agents last Dec. 16 from his resort in the uphill village of Barangay Lanote Bliss.

Sakalahul said after their conversation with the alleged Abu Sayyaf leader he immediately informed the son of the victim about the development. 

Sakalahul said the family continued to appeal that it can not just raise huge amount of ransom even if they would sell their properties.