MEMOIRS OF A (Hostage) CRISIS

MEMOIRS OF A (Hostage) CRISIS
When freedom & Life is at stake!

The year 2000 and 2001 has been one of the most violent years for us. Personally, this experience has helped strengthened my self as I dealt with this unfortunate incident. I decided to write this in order not to be forgotten as the years go by.

I do not wish to bring back sad and bad memories brought by this nightmare nor enkindle again the flame of hatred by victims towards their extremist kidnappers and supporters in the government. I only wish that this must not happen again.

March 20, 2001- About 70 fully armed members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) swooped down and attacked our remote village of Tumahubong, Sumisip, Basilan. Took over Claret High School of Tumahubong and Tumahubong Elementary School and held captives 53 school children, teachers and a Priest before fleeing to their forested hide out in Mt. Punoh Mahadje in Sampinit, Basilan.

The incident sparked a crisis. The extremist group demanded freedom for their comrades jailed in the US namely: Sheik Abdurahman Omar, Yousef Ramsi and Abu Haider; plus 2 companions imprisoned at the Basilan Provincial Jail namely: Hadjirul Ampul and Ustadz Patta, in exchange for the freedom of the remaining children hostages.

Other demands include prohibition of illegal fishing by big fishing boats in the waters of Basilan, Sulu & Tawi-Tawi; allow Muslim students to practice religious rights & obligations, and the last demand which threatens the Christians in Basilan: STOP the putting of crosses in the island.

All the demands were not met. In the ensuing battle and stand off, 5 teachers were killed including Claretian Missionary Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, cmf; 2 were beheaded as a gift to former President Erap Estrada.The children hostages were freed earlier in batches in exchange for some demands of food stuff and undetermined cash.

There were tales of horrors in the hands of the kidnappers which only the victims could divulge.

Barely a month later, on April 23, 2000; Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf Group held a lightning raid at Malaysia’s Sipadan Island Resort and took hostage 21 foreign tourists and brought them to Sulu.

A crisis of international magnitude was born. Of the hostages; 2 were French, 3 Germans, 2 South Africans, 1 Lebanese-French, 3 Finnish, 8 Malaysians and 2 Filipinos. Their demands: dollars, dollars, and dollars!

It was believed that millions of dollars in ransom was paid for the freedom of the hostages. This is biggest haul ever, and this made the terrorist group “a bunch of millionaires”. NOT ONLY the terrorist group, but also the negotiators from the Philippine government and other mediators of ransom became millionaires too.

Again there were tales of horrors committed by the kidnappers which only the victims could reveal.

I was then an insignificant writer/reporter from a government information agency when I covered these events. I even experienced being held hostage albeit for only 5 hours during the initial negotiation phase held inside a mosque at Bandang, Talipao, Sulu.

The folly of these events reflects the weakness of the government in dealing with the terrorists. What’s more disgusting and very disappointing are allegations of connections or connivance of the terrorist group with some high ranking officials in the government.

Only the hostages could reveal who they are; for they were the ones who facilitate the safe exchange of ransom from the victim’s families to the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Life and freedom has been put at stake in these two particular incidents. Three (3) of the youngest hostages in the March 20 Tumahubong Hostage-taking Incident were my nephews. Crisalyn, 4 years old, the youngest of them all celebrated her 5th birthday in the jungle hideout of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Life and freedom is priceless and only death could take them away. Nobody, even governments or terrorist groups have the right to take this away from us.