No ransom paid for Korean, Pinoy

From Malaysia Business Insight (Jan 16): No ransom paid for Korean, Pinoy

THE Armed Forces yesterday dismissed talks ransom was paid to the Abu Sayyaf for the release of a Korean ship captain and a Filipino crew member in Indanan town, Sulu last Saturday.

The two had been in captivity for nearly three months.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP public affairs office, said ongoing military operations against the Abu Sayyaf forced the lawless group to release Korean boat captain Park Chulhong and Filipino seafarer Glenn Alindajao.

The two were released Saturday morning in Barangay Kagay with the help of the Moro National Liberation Front headed by Nur Misuari.

Reports said P25 million was paid to the group which is engaged mainly in kidnapping for ransom and is notorious for beheading victims whose families could not pay ransom.

Chulhong and Alindajao were seized off Tawi-Tawi last October 21 by Abu Sayyaf men who intercepted the victims’ ship Dong Bang Giant 2. The suspects let go the other crewmembers and the ship.

Arevalo said the group could not hold hostages for so long because they compromise the mobility of the kidnappers. The group is still holding 25 foreign and Filipino hostages in Sulu, including a Dutch photographer abducted in Tawi-Tawi in 2012.

“They were saying that they were very tired, they seldom ate. They are liability to the movement (of the Abu Sayyaf),” Arevalo said citing statements of victims earlier released by the Abu Sayyaf.

“With the conduct of this operation, we expect that that this (release of hostages) will continue, for one reason or another, they would have to release their hostages,” said Arevalo.

Asked why the Abu Sayyaf is not releasing the other hostages, Arevalo said, “They know that if they do not have kidnap victims, there will be no one to slow down soldiers. At present, our operations are calibrated to take into account the safety (of the hostages).”

The release of the two kidnap victims came eight days after AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año issued a new deadline of six months to defeat the Abu Sayyaf, the Maute Group, and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

“Make no mistake, General Año is very determined to crush the Abu Sayyaf menace... That is his direction, that is his intention -- to finish this in six months,” he said.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/no-ransom-paid-korean-pinoy