Save the hostages

It seems the Abu Sayyaf have started 2009 with a kidnapping spree. While one Red Cross volunteer, Mary Jean Lacaba, was freed on April 2 after reportedly being redeemed by a ransom, several hostages continue to suffer under the hands of the Abu Sayyaf who kidnapped them. Aside from two more Red Cross workers, Andreas Notter of Switzerland and Eugenio Vagni of Italy, who were abducted last Jan. 15 in Sulu after visiting a water sanitation project at a provincial jail, we must not forget seven more hostages, including one who already died due to illness, six teachers and one foreign human rights advocate who remain under captivity. Now we know we are not dealing with terrorists who are fighting for a “noble” cause; the Abu Sayyaf are merely enterprising bandits who found the trade very lucrative, and want more money. On the other hand, the hostages risked their lives in Mindanao for a common purpose — to contribute their voluntary services in improving the quality of life of people in disadvantaged areas and, in the case of the teachers, to provide a hope for the future by teaching the poor youth growing up in conflict areas. How can they still become victims of evil while planting seeds of hope, we wonder.

Despite reports of continuing assaults of the military on the Abu Sayyaf, the hostages remain in their captivity up to now. It gives the impression that our military cannot win without somebody paying a ransom. After floating out threats to behead one of the hostages unless military troops pull out, Ms. Lacaba was suddenly freed. Hence, everyone believes a ransom was paid, similar to how TV host Ces Drilon was suddenly freed after her male companion almost got beheaded. Everybody in government denies paying any ransom for the release of hostages and yet Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, head of the Crisis Committee in the Red Cross hostage crisis, admitted that it was not the custom of the bandits to release their victims without receiving payment for “board and lodging fees”.

It seems no one is learning a lesson at all. The bandits continue to kidnap while the hostages are willing victims who continue to take the risk in terrorist areas, and worse, even refusing military escort like in the case of the TV crew and the Red Cross volunteers. The military continue to pursue and attack but never win in the end. Government representatives continue to negotiate making me wonder why a small group of terrorists or bandits continue to have an upper hand over the more powerful military and the government.

The teachers who were kidnapped in January and February this year are Noemi Mandib, 38, Jocelyn Inion, 39, Jocelyn Enriquez, 43, Janette de los Reyes, 27, Freires Quizon, 29 and Rafael Mayonado, 22. With them is human rights advocate, Sri Lankan Jaalil Umar. We hope the poor teachers are not in more danger than they already are since they are not the foreigners usually preferred by the bandits as they can easily tap foreign sources to pay ransom demands. While the police failed to protect these public school teachers from being attacked, we hope the government and the military will now work for their immediate release after their third month in captivity.

The people must feel secure that the government is in control, otherwise it is easy for anarchists and criminals to rule. Apart from resolving the long standing conflict in Mindanao with the peace negotiations, we must not allow any part of our country to become a territory of bandits, let alone criminals pretending to be terrorists with a noble cause. In the absence of law abiding and peace loving citizens, government must apply its full force to defend and protect the lives, rights and property of the rest; to preserve peace and justice for all. We wait for its decisive action to finally save all the hostages.

As a former Secretary of Education, I appeal to the authorities of both camps to free the poor public school teachers and to never allow teachers to be victims of such atrocities again.