June 23, 2008, The Philippine Star, More evidence vs Isnajis readied, by Cecille Suerte Felipe,

June 23, 2008, The Philippine Star, More evidence vs Isnajis readied, by Cecille Suerte Felipe,

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to present more evidence in today’s preliminary investigation into the alleged involvement of Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider in the kidnapping of ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Drilon and her crew.

“(Police) still have aces up their sleeves to pin down the Isnajis,” one investigator said. “We have photographs at Jolo airport where two duffel bags were held by the Sulu PNP provincial director Senior Superintendent Julasirim Kasim.”

Police might also present to state prosecutors the police officers, who conducted the debriefing on the Isnajis at CIDG headquarters, sources said.

Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome, PNP spokesman, is confident that the evidence to be presented before Senior State Prosecutor Emilie delos Santos would establish probable cause to warrant the filing of four counts of kidnapping against the Isnajis and their alleged cohorts before the court.

“We have a lot of evidence,” he said. “The pictures we have presented were only one of the many pieces of evidence against the Isnajis.”

Last Friday, Razon showed reporters two photographs of the Isnajis, Sulu Vice Gov. Lady Ann Sahidulla and Senior Superintendent Winnie Quidato counting the P5 million ransom that a brother of Drilon, delivered to the mayor’s home in Indanan town, Sulu.

In an affidavit, Quidato, who saw the money being counted, said the kidnappers received only P2 million.

“We still have a lot of documentary and other material evidence against the Isnajis,” a source said. “Remember that what General Razon presented last Friday is just the tip of the iceberg. The PNP investigators have not yet presented evidence on the delivery of the second tranche of the ransom believed to be P15 million. And what transpired from the Jolo Airport, at the Isnaji residence, and the freeing of Ces Drilon and company on the eve of June 18 is another documented event.”

Reports said that the two duffel bags allegedly containing P15 million was delivered by a Meralco-registered Cessna plane on June 17 at the Zamboanga City airport.

Those on board the Cessna plane hired a chartered Sea-Air plane which then delivered the two duffel bags to the Jolo airport on the same day and were fetched by Haider Isnaji, a certain Inawat and Kasim.

Police and military intelligence agents closely monitored the Meralco-registered aircraft, including its occupants, sources said.

Abus blend into population

Military intelligence agents are tracking down the kidnappers of television reporter Ces Drilon and three others after they fled their mountain lair and merged with the local population in Sulu to escape capture, the military said yesterday.

Marine Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, Joint Task Force Comet commander, said the release of Drilon, her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, and Mindanao State University professor Octavio Dinampo was purposely delayed so that kidnappers could make their getaway.

Sabban said the intelligence gathering operation is “very discreet and surgical”with the selected targets being pinpointed.

“The problem is they (critics) keep on talking without knowing what is happening on the ground,” he said.

Sabban said residents of Jolo, the capital town of Sulu, and towns in the affected areas of operation have not noticed the military operation.

Drilon, Encarnacion and Dinampo were freed midnight Tuesday in Patikul, Sulu.

The fourth hostage, assistant cameraman Angelo Valderama was released five days earlier following the reported payment of P5 million ransom.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Lipa Ramon Arguelles said politicians are behind kidnappings to raise funds for their election campaign.

“That happened many times,” he said on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“We don’t know who are the real kidnappers, who are the real negotiators and who are the real people favoring the law and who are implementing it.î

Arguelles, a former prelate of the Military Ordinariate of the Philippines based in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, said many opportunists will resort to illegal activities to get a share of the ransom.

“That is expected,”he said. “That is simple banditry. And then of course some already powerful and rich people over there are making money of it because it’s election time for the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).î

Indanan Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider are accused of involvement in the kidnapping of Drilon, Encarnacion, Valderama, and Dinampo.

Isnaji is the gubernatorial bet of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the ARMM elections on Aug. 11.

Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon Jr. said Drilon’s family paid P5 million in ransom for her freedom.

Drilon’s brother Frank Oreña gave the amount to Isnaji a day before Valderama was released on June 12, he added.

However, only P2 million of the P5 million reached the kidnappers, Razon said. – With Roel Pareño, Sandy Araneta