ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- A team of influential Tausug leaders is negotiating for the release of broadcast journalist Ces Drilon and her two cameramen as police confirmed that the abductors have brought their captives to another place.
Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim, police chief for Sulu, confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer the setting up of the negotiating team composed of "well-meaning and influential persons," but refused to identify its members.
"These are leaders of Sulu. They could go, talk and negotiate with the kidnappers … and they could receive feelers so we could get good reports regarding situation of captives," he said.
Kasim said the team was given a week to establish contact with the kidnappers.
"In a week's time they should have good news," he said.
The creation of the negotiating team came with reports that Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama have been transferred to another group of the Abu Sayyaf in Mount Tumatangis in Indanan town.
"We were informed Ces' group was brought to Tumatangis around 6 p.m. Tuesday. We made the confirmation just around 11 p.m. Tuesday when I went to Maimbung," Kasim said.
Drilon's group and their guide, Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo, were reportedly abducted in the village of Labbah on Sunday afternoon allegedly by a group of armed men led by Gafur Jumdail.
The police on Tuesday reported that the victims were brought to Karawan Complex, situated in the middle of the towns of Maimbung, Indanan, Patikul, Parang and Talipao.
But reports reaching Kasim said the victims were brought to Indanan and are now with armed men led by Albader Parad.
Kanain Isnaji, executive secretary of Indanan Mayor Isnaji Alvarez, also confirmed receiving reports, but said Jumdail and Parad belong to the same group.
"They just merged to share resources," Isnaji said.
The transfer to another location, according to Kasim, was probably to make the victims "feel quite comfortable, because in Karawan Complex there is no water. In Tumatangis, they have water, food."
Kasim also stressed that they still do not consider Dinampo a victim, "because we got reports he was already released along with a driver only known as Maming."
Kasim, however, admitted they could not locate the driver, the dispatcher and Dinampo, if indeed he had been released.
But even if he is still with Drilon's group, Kasim said, Dinampo "remains a suspect."
"This professor knows the situation in the area. So how come he has to bring Madame Ces? What's his motive?" Kasim asked.
But Fatma Dinampo, the professor's daughter, said the police should explain why her father has become a suspect.
"My father is not a bad person. So many peace groups expressed their concern over the fate of my father. We don't have money for ransom," Fatma said.
"Ano ba ang gusto nilang palabasin, ano ba ang motibo nila laban sa Daddy ko (What are they implying, what is their motive against my Daddy)?" she added.
Sulu Representative Yusop Jikiri also vouched for Dinampo's integrity, saying the professor is a credible peace advocate and was responsible in several peace works such as conflict resolution among warring clans and families.
"He is a respected educator, a man of peace, but he has no deep understanding of the culture (of the Abu Sayyaf) because he has never been a combatant," Jikiri said.
Like Drilon, Dinampo is a victim, Jikiri added.
"The difference is that Drilon is prominent and Dinampo is not because he is a native of Sulu," he said.
Lawyer Mary Ann Arnado, secretary general of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus, which Dinampo heads, dismissed as untrue reports that Dinampo had been released.
"We find this report very disturbing and could only complicate an already confusing situation," Arnado said as she called on "all law enforcers and our leaders to avoid victim-blaming."
"Obviously, this (victim-blaming) will not expedite the release of the kidnap victims," she said.
Meanwhile, Jikiri sees the transfer of captives from one hand to another as a bad sign.
"Hindi maganda yan, at lalung hindi maganda kung ang ABS-CBN ang direktang kumakausap sa mga kidnappers (That’s not good, especially if ABS-CBN is communicating directly with the kidnappers)," he said.
Jikiri worked for the safe release of GMA-7 reporter Carlo Lorenzo and his cameraman Gilbert Ordiales in 2002.
As negotiator and governor of Sulu that time, Jikiri did not allow GMA 7 management to deal directly with the kidnappers. Even soldiers of Task Force Comet were prevented from getting near where Lorenzo and Ordiales were being held.
"We sought their (GMA 7, national government and military) approval for local officials to deal with the kidnappers," he said.
Lorenzo and Ordiales were freed six days later.
"What I observed is that ABS-CBN is directly dealing here in the negotiation and it's not a good sign. It may invite more groups to join (to take part of the ransom). ABS-CBN should have tapped a trusted leader here who is also acceptable to lawless groups or kidnappers," he said.
His other unsolicited advice: "Never, ever deploy Marines near the suspected lairs of the kidnappers. If they do that, then they are clearing any possible line of communication. The presence of civilians or villagers is a great help in the negotiation. With presence of troops, they eliminate any sign of communication as civilian residents are afraid of soldiers."
Maimbung town mayor Najib Maldisa said some of his constituents were willing to help locate Drilon.
"Some residents there volunteered to help locate Drilon and her crew, but I advised them to locate first the driver who, until now, is still at large after he was freed on Monday morning," Maldisa said.
