Ransom fails to save life of village chief

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Payment of ransom failed to save the life of a village chief who had been beheaded by Abu Sayyaf, according to several sources close to the slain kidnap victim’s family and authorities who had been involved in efforts to free the victim.

The family of Rodolfo Boligao, who had been beheaded by Abu Sayyaf after weeks of captivity following his kidnapping in May, had already raised P500,000 in ransom and entrusted the money to an emissary, who has not been identified.

But the sources said two weeks after the money had been put together and supposedly given to an emissary, Boligao’s body and head were found in the town of Maimbung, Sulu province, with a note believed to have been written by his captors.

The family of another Abu Sayyaf captive, one of two Coast Guard members being held by Abu Sayyaf, had also raised up to P1 million meant as ransom payment, but the victim has not been released, according to sources.

Boligao and two Coast Guard members—SN2 Gringo Villaluz and SN1 Rod Pagaling—were seized in the village of Aliguay in Dapitan City on May 4 by Abu Sayyaf members who initially demanded ransom of P10 million for each of the three captives. The terrorists later lowered the ransom demand for P3 million for each of the victims.

Sources involved in negotiations for Boligao’s release said Abu Sayyaf had agreed to a ransom payment of P500,000 for Boligao.

“We understood that the money for him and another victim was sent through an emissary,” said one of the sources.

Another source, a Dapitan City official, said the money was raised through contributions from “families, friends and relatives.”

“We are aware of the no-ransom policy, but at the same time, we cannot just say no to the worries, the miseries felt by the families, we helped in other ways,” the official said.

Navy Commander Roy Vincent Trinidad, the chief of staff of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (Navforwem), said the military also received information from negotiators tapped by the victims’ families that Boligao and another hostage were to be released because money for ransom had already been raised.

The families, he said, had been negotiating with an Abu Sayyaf leader identified as Yasser Igasan.

Trinidad said something must have gone wrong along the way but the military was not privy to what it was.

“What went wrong along the way, we still don’t know,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Boligao family retrieved the slain village chief’s remains at the Navy headquarters here and brought it to Dipolog City. “The family’s request is for justice,” Trinidad said.

He said following Boligao’s beheading, the military would further step up offensive against Abu Sayyaf and try to rescue 13 more people being held captive by the terror group. They include Ewold Horn, a Dutch birdwatcher seized in 2012.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman, of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the military should launch a massive operation to put an end to Abu Sayyaf. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao