Militants triple ransom for kidnapped journalists
Militants triple ransom for kidnapped journalists
Mindanao/Manila: Islamist militants on Thursday raised their ransom demand for the release of three journalists kidnapped in the southern Philippines on Sunday to 30 million pesos (Dh2.4 million), a radio report said.
The ransom for each captive had been increased to 10 million pesos, said the report, which did not name a source.
The kidnappers had initially sought a ransom of 10 million pesos for all the journalists. That demand was made on Monday after they released Julie Jura, the driver and owner of the vehicle that brought Ces Drilon, cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama of ABS CBN, and Professor Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University to Labbah village, in Maimbung, Sulu, to interview leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the Southeast Asian conduit of the Al Qaida.
Professor Dinampo, who had arranged for the interview in Sulu, was set free on Wednesday.
Government officials and the ABS CBN TV network have, however, upheld their no-ransom policy.
A local paper, the Star reported that Drilon and the two cameramen had been placed under the custody of JI bomb expert Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan, a Malaysian who allegedly has been hiding with the help of the ASG in Talipao, Sulu, since 2003.
Zulkiffli, a US-trained expert, was a major suspect in the bombing that killed 200 people in Bali, in 2002.
The kidnappers allegedly separated Drilon from her crew in Talipao, to frustrate attempts by government troops trying to track them down, a security official said requesting anonymity.
The Philippine Navy rejected the proposal of renegade members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that the military release a terrorist leader in exchange for the release of two Marines intelligence agents held captive in the southern Basilan island, a spokesman said.
"We are consistent with our adherence to the stand of the government not to succumb to demands of ransom payment or agreeing to concessions," said Lt Col Edgardo Arevalo.
