Wife of kidnapped Australian national in the dark on husband’s fate
ZAMBOANGA CITY—The Filipino wife of kidnapped Australian national Warren Richard Rodwell said she was being left in the dark as to the fate of her husband.
Miraflor Gutang-Rodwell said she was desperate to find out what happened to her husband but nobody was giving her updates.
“How I wish they will come to me, tell me and inform me what’s really going on with their rescue effort, whatever it is, I will be ready to listen and accept so that I can move on,” she told the Inquirer by phone.
Earlier, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said it received reports that Rodwell died in captivity because of complications from the wound he suffered when snatched from his house
in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay province, on Dec. 5, 2011.
MILF spokesperson Von Al Haq said the report was provided by their field commanders in Zamboanga Sibugay. But Al Haq added that the report was still being verified.
Police authorities in Western Mindanao said they did not receive any report on Rodwell’s supposed death and that they were also verifying the MILF information.
Miraflor said the last information she got was that abductors had sent a video of her husband to officials. She said she did not have a copy of the video and that she only saw it when it was played on TV news.
The Inquirer tried but failed to get a comment from Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Rommel Jalosjos on Miraflor’s statement.
Zamboanga Sibugay police chief Senior Supt. Ruben Cariaga said they did not have any updates to relay to her.
“We don’t have any news to share to her. Besides, the case is no longer under our responsibility; it’s now being taken care of by the Dipo (Directorate for Integrated Police Operations),” Cariaga said.
He said the last piece of information they got was that Rodwell had been transferred to Basilan province, where the Abu Sayyaf operates.
“We don’t have information about the MILF’s claim that Rodwell is dead. If in case the report was true, definitely the Crisis Management Committee and our office would know about it,” Cariaga said.
Chief Supt. Manuel Barcena, chief of the Dipo in Western Mindanao, said they were hoping to work hand in hand with the MILF to resolve the Rodwell kidnapping.
“Efforts are still ongoing to secure the safe release of Rodwell,” he said. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao
