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Home/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ February 4, 2009, Sunstar Zamboanga, Westmincom nixes Abu Sayyaf demands, by Bong Garcia,

February 4, 2009, Sunstar Zamboanga, Westmincom nixes Abu Sayyaf demands, by Bong Garcia,

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February 4, 2009, Sunstar Zamboanga, Westmincom nixes Abu Sayyaf demands, by Bong Garcia,

 

THE Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) is not in favor of Vice-President Noli De Castro leading the negotiation for the release of three kidnapped Red Cross workers in Sulu.

 

First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, information officer of Westmincom, said they are concerned about the safety of De Castro as he is the second highest official of the country.

 

In a letter, Al-Bader Parad and Radulan Sahiron, leaders of Abu Sayyaf bandits who are holding captive the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers, also demanded the pullout of troops to pave the way for the negotiation.

 

Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Filipino Jean Lacaba were seized by armed men last January 15. They are being held captive in the hinterlands of Sulu province.

 

Cacho said De Castro would be exposed to great danger if he will spearhead the negotiation.

 

De Castro has previously negotiated with the Abu Sayyaf bandits for the release of the school pupils, teachers and slain Claretian priest Fr. Roel Gallardo who were seized in 2000 in the island province of Basilan.

 

At that time, however, De Castro was still known as one of the best television news anchors in the country. He went to the camp of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan province, accompanied by actor Robin Padilla, who is a Muslim convert.

 

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, head of the Sulu Crisis Management Committee (SCMC), has opposed to the bandits' demand to pull out the troops. "It's impossible to happen," he said.

 

The military, meanwhile, is checking on the authenticity of the demand letter to determine if it was indeed written by Parad and Sahiron.

 

Parad became known when he personally participated in the kidnapping of 21 people, mostly Europeans, in 2000 from the island resort of Sipadan in Sabah, Malaysia. Sahiron, on the other hand, is known as the oldest and one-armed leader of the Abu Sayyaf. One of his arms was amputated several years ago after he was injured in a firefight with government troops. Original Link:

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