EDITORIAL - Lucrative industry

In the conflict zone that is Sulu, there was a piece of good news yesterday: the chief mechanic of the provincial government was released by bandits believed to belong to the Abu Sayyaf.

The troubling aspect of the story is that chief mechanic Ronald Pelegrin was freed after two weeks in captivity in exchange for a hefty ransom. Earlier, his family said the kidnappers were asking for P15 million for his release.

Such demands are typically whittled down in negotiations. Any amount paid to kidnappers, however, even for “board and lodging,” tends to encourage more attacks. Paying ransom to secure the safe release of kidnap victims can be justified only if security forces use the payoff to track down the perpetrators. The kidnappers must be arrested and the ransom recovered and returned to its source.

In the case of Pelegrin, the ransom source may be Juan de la Cruz, which can set a worrisome precedent. An ordinary mechanic – even a chief mechanic – may not have enough money to buy his freedom from bandits. But local government units generate public funds, and there are discretionary lump sums that may be used to secure the release of an employee of the LGU.

The government of Sulu must make sure public funds are not used to pay any form of ransom, including the euphemistic board and lodging fee. State auditors must see to this. Funds of the provincial government must be used instead to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf menace, which has held back development and made Sulu one of the poorest provinces.

Kidnappers in the conflict zones of Mindanao have long been suspected of working in cahoots with certain government and military officials. The payment of ransom has made kidnapping one of the most lucrative industries in the conflict zones. As long as bandits see crime paying handsomely, kidnapping for ransom is guaranteed to continue.