Kidnapped mayor faces ordeal in Sayyaf hands

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The kidnapped mayor of a town in Zamboanga Sibugay province is facing a more terrifying ordeal as the group that took her is likely to turn her over to a more notorious one, the Abu Sayyaf, according to authorities.

Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Wilter Palma said the Waning Abdusalam Group (WAG), which kidnapped Mayor Gemma Adana, of Naga town, is only waiting for the right time to bring the mayor to either Sulu or Basilan, which are known to have Abu Sayyaf lairs.

Palma said WAG had done the same to their victims in the past.

Palma said he had ordered police and the military to stay on high alert because WAG is “just waiting for the opportunity” to turn over Adana to the Abu Sayyaf.

“If the police and military get tired running after them (WAG), the kidnappers would take advantage,” said Palma.

Senior Supt. Jose Bayani Gucela, Zamboanga Sibugay police director, told Inquirer by phone that Adana has not been brought out of the province yet.

Gucela could not say how police are sure that the mayor is still in the province, but said he, too, believed that WAG is trying to bring Adana out of Zamboanga Sibugay to either Sulu or Basilan to be turned over to Abu Sayyaf.

Gucela said it happened in the case of another victim of WAG, Hong Nwi-seong, a 73-year-old Korean.

Seong, who was kidnapped in RT Lim town on Jan. 24 had been handed over to the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province.

Gov. Palma said WAG is likely to be planning to do the same in the case of two other kidnapping victims—teachers Bernadeth Silvano and Russel Bagonoc.

Silvano and Bagonoc were kidnapped in Talusan town on March 5 and their kidnappers are demanding P10 million in ransom.

Gucela said the Abu Sayyaf uses WAG, which he described as “the only notorious (kidnap) group operating in Sibugay,” to raise funds.

“(The group) usually brings out its captives to Sulu or Basilan,” Gucela added.

Palma urged police to review the security plan for local government officials in the province.

“We have become vulnerable to attacks,” said the governor.

He said the security arrangement should not be “just to secure the officials but as well as to secure the offices they belong to.”

Police said Adana became vulnerable when she sent home her lone security aide for a break on April 6, the day that the mayor was kidnapped. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao