February 9, 2009, Sun Star Davao, CHR: Solve kidnapping cases the right way, by Bong Garcia

February 9, 2009, Sun Star Davao, CHR: Solve kidnapping cases the right way, by Bong Garcia / Sunnex,

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- An official of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has urged residents of two southern Philippine provinces to leave the issue of kidnapping to the authorities.

Jose Manuel Mamauag, director of CHR in Western Mindanao, said the local residents in Basilan and Sulu provinces “should not take the law into their hands” and confront the kidnapping problem in Mindanao.

Mamuag made the reaction following disturbing pronouncements of two mayors of Basilan that the relatives of the kidnappers should also be kidnapped for hostage swap.

Two wrongdoings cannot make a kidnapping incident right, he said, adding that everything should be done within the ambit of the law in solving the kidnapping problem in the region.

On Monday, Mayor Tahira Ismael of Lantawan municipality was quoted as saying that family members of the kidnappers should also be kidnapped citing a March 2000 incident where a civilian volunteer abducted the mother and sisters of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Khadafy Janjalani.

Janjalani’s group at that time abducted more than 50 people in Basilan including school teachers, pupils and slain Claretian priest Fr. Roel Gallardo from a school in Sumisip town.

The civilian volunteer identified as Abdul Mijal demanded the release of the teachers, pupils and priest in exchange for the freedom of Janjalani's mother and sisters.

Mamauag said the best thing to do now is to find the best solution to the problem so that the release of the hostages, whose number has swelled to 13, could be expedited the soonest possible time.

Thirteen captives were snatched separately in Zamboanga City and Basilan since last month. One of them was seized late last year while the 12 were separately snatched since January.

Of the number, eight are being held captive by kidnappers believed to have ties with the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan province.

The kidnap victims include three teachers and a businessman from Zamboanga City; a midwife, a nine-year-old child and two lending firm workers from Basilan province. The two latest victims were seized Tuesday afternoon while collecting loan payments for the Kasanyangan Community Development Foundation Inc.

In Sulu, the hostages include the three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) -- two European nationals, and a Filipino female engineer -- and two Filipino-Chinese businessmen.

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