Pacquiao shrugs off Sayyaf threat: Our Muslim brothers won’t do that

SARANGANI Rep. and senatorial hopeful Manny Pacquiao said he was not alarmed by reports that the Abu Sayyaf group has planned to take him hostage to attract the attention of the Islamic State (IS).

In an interview in Los Baños, Laguna where the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) took their campaign on Thursday, Pacquiao said he was surprised but he remains confident that his Muslim brothers and sisters would not do such a thing on the internationally renowned boxer.

“Noong una kong narinig iyan nagulat ako kasi kaibigan naman natin lahat especially ang mga kapatid nating Muslim at tinutulungan natin lahat ng mga nangangailangan ng tulong,” Pacquiao said.

“Hindi ako naniniwala na gagawin iyan ng ating mga kapatid na Muslim,” he added.

Pacquiao said the report prompted him to beef up his security to protect his family from the alleged threats.

“Bali, may mga security naman tayo at dinagdagan natin iyong security pati sa mga bata at pamilya,” Pacquiao said.

“Naniniwala naman kami na ang Panginoon ay gagabayan kami at saka hindi namin maisip iyan dahil kaibigan naman namin ang lahat. Ang ginagawa namin is tumutulong sa mga mahihirap na tao especially ang mga brothers natin na Muslim,” he added.

Pacquiao said that the alleged plot should have been told to him by President Aquino much earlier and in secret.

“Sa akin lang, kung iyan ang talagang intelligence report dapat sinabi sa akin nang sikreto at hindi i-aannounce at sabihin sa akin in advance. May doubt pa rin ako pero di naman natin binabalewala. I doubt na magagawa yan ng mga brother Muslims natin,” Pacquiao said.

Aquino first revealed the alleged plot of the Abu Sayyaf to abduct Pacquiao and presidential sister Kris Aquino after the bandits beheaded Canadian John Ridsdel.

Aquino said the Abu Sayyaf, whose leaders pledged allegiance to the IS, also planned to execute him and stage bombings in Metro Manila to attract the attention of the international terrorist group and gain access to the funds of the jihadists.

The president said government forces were able to thwart the Abu Sayyaf’s plans.

Ridsdel was one of four people abducted by the Abu Sayyaf on the Island Garden City of Samal island off Davao City in September 2015.

His head was found wrapped in a plastic bag on the streets of Sulu on Monday.

The terrorist group earlier demanded a P300-million ransom for each of the hostages.

For his part, UNA standard bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay said he is one of those protective of Pacquiao who recently placed third in the opinion poll results.

“Lagi ako nasa kaliwa tinitignan ko dahil sa Pacman yata ito at nagbigay ng malaking istorya sa Pilipinas,” Binay said of Pacquiao, his lone senator bet who has a big chance of securing a seat in the Senate.

Binay said, as a graduate of a degree on national security, he found it suspicious that the administration failed to inform Pacquiao early on about the plot to take him hostage.

The vice president said the administration may be bringing up the issue to bury reports that they were giving out money to voters one week before the elections.

“Alam mo, mayroon akong, I have to say, a Master’s degree in National Security Administration. Katataka-taka ang ganyan. Government official iyan at saka talagang mahal ng Pilipino iyan. Noong unang mangyari, iyan, noong unang lumabas iyan, dapat ininform nila kaagad ang end niya. Kung may nadisgrasya at totoo pala, biro mo naman iyon, hindi nila sinabihan kaagad iyong tao. There is something fishy about it,” Binay said.

“Kahit magtanong ka sa mga intelligence officer, ang security kaagad ng taong may threat. Sasabihin, ‘Mag-ingat ka, mag-lie low ka muna…’ Baka naman sila ay may pinagtatakpan na pangyayari kaya naman pinapalitan ang topic… Kung paano sila mamigay ng pera. Pera ng bayan kapag halalan,” he added.