No ransom for Abu Sayyaf-abducted coast guards – gov’t

Malacañang on Thursday said it will not hand over money to bandit groups in exchange of their captives’ freedom.

The statement came after an alleged faction of the Abu Sayyaf threatened to behead a village chair and two members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

“Government maintains its no-ransom policy,” Communications Secretery Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message to media.

Instead, he forwarded a statement from PCG spokesperson Cdr. Armand Balilo who said they are in close coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

“The PCG is doing its best to rescue the two PCG personnel. Admiral Rodolfo Isorena has since day one gave instructions to PCG Northern Mindanao district commander Commodore Ferdinand Velasco to exhaust all possible efforts to recover them,” he said.

Balilo said they are also keeping the families of PCG personnel updated.

A four-minute video, allegedly from the abductors, showed the abducted men blindfolded and kneeling. They were guarded by eight armed men with covered faces.

READ: Abu Sayyaf captives urge gov’t to save them from beheading

One of the two PCG members were identified as Rod Pagaling who appealed, in the video, for the government to bail them out. The other, Gringo Villaluz, hoped that help would come soon. Also abducted was Aliguay village chair Rodolfo Boligao. Aliguay is an island village in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

The bandit group is supposedly asking for P10 million for their release.