Rise in kidnapping cases in western Mindanao linked to 2016 polls

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The spike in kidnapping incidents, particularly in western Mindanao, could be linked to the forthcoming elections, a ranking police official said.

Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, the city police director, said his experience while working under the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) made him to believe that the recent rash in kidnapping incidents in the Zamboanga peninsula and the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi was perpetrated by some dubious individuals to secure a political seat in the elections.

Kidnapping, Casimiro said, was also rampant during his PAOCTF days whenever an election drew near.

“The usual motive of kidnapping is money. With the forthcoming election and if we go back to the previous elections, it’s one source of money for political purposes,” Casimiro told the Inquirer.

May was barely on the second week and at least 10 kidnapping incidents had already been recorded in western Mindanao and in nearby northern Mindanao.

These included the May 3 kidnapping of mining executive Priscillano Garcia and his driver, Almatrapy Gua, in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; the May 4 abduction of Rodolfo Boligao, coast guards members SN2 Gringo Villaluz and SN1 Rod Pagaling in Dapitan City and the May 6 kidnapping of Guan Lim Maujon in Siasi, Sulu. Maujon had been rescued while the other victims remained in the hands of their captors.

Casimiro said kidnapping activities are prominent in areas “where there are presence of armed bandits and guerillas.”

“Some individuals in areas, where there are armed groups, must be planning to run for political position and they need the money,” he said.

But Casimiro would not name any politician suspected to have links with kidnappers or armed groups such as the Abu Sayyaf.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, told the Inquirer that some kidnapping incidents in the past were related to elections but said he doubted if the 2016 polls had something to do with the recent ones.

“In previous pre-election incidents, that may be true,” he said.

Like Guerrero, Rear Admiral Reynaldo Yoma, commander of Naval Forces of Western Mindanao, said it was speculative to link kidnappings to politicians or the forthcoming elections.

But then, he admitted that “we are also looking into that.”

“We also want to establish connections between the apparent mounting cases of kidnapping to political fund-raising attempts,” Yoma said.

Whether election-related or not, Guerrero admitted that the spike in kidnapping incidents had caused authorities “deep concern.” Julie Alipala