De Lima: Hostage-takers will be hunted down
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Wednesday that those responsible for the hostage-taking incident in Prosperidad town, Agusan del Sur will be prosecuted even if the captors freed their victims unharmed.
“Someone should be held accountable, even that group that took hostages. They would be charged because they violated the law. They would be hunted down,” De Lima said.
The hostage crisis ended peacefully Wednesday morning when the abductors—five heavily armed Manobo tribesmen—abandoned their 12 remaining hostages in the forested area of the town where the victims were held since Friday.
De Lima also disclosed that even if there was a local crisis management committee (CMC) overseeing the situation in Prosperidad, a national CMC headed by President Aquino himself was convened in Malacañang since “Day 1” to monitor how things were going.
De Lima said she, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and military and police officials were among the members of the national CMC.
“National authorities were monitoring (the hostage-taking) since Day 1. Now it can be told,” De Lima said.
De Lima said that as tasked by the national CMC, she quickly contacted the local prosecutors involved in the cases that the hostage-takers were protesting about.
“I ordered a review of the cases involving the Ondo Perez gang. I understand that there’s an issue of alleged injustice on the part of the Manobo tribesmen. Their grievance is why they were the only ones being arrested and not their opponents. They’re demanding equal treatment,” De Lima said.
“Some of the cases may already be dismissed but some can’t, so these cases will push through,” De Lima added.
