A group of fishermen casually walked away from their Abu Sayyaf Group captors who released them three days after they were forcibly taken in the waters of Sabah.
The reason: They are too poor to pay even for a sack of rice as ransom.
Police Col. Bernard Banac, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, said the nine kidnap victims were chanced upon by some policemen who were conducting routine patrol in Talipao, Sulu.
Banac identified the fishermen as Mohammad Jumdatul Harun, 42; Abdulnarar Akmad Mohammad, 33; Samsol Dungun Asmann, 20; Adzmar Aminosa Sinnung, 26; Gun Abdillah Supian, 29; Amil Pulalun, 28; Simal Aharol 26; and two minors aged 13 and 16-years-old.
“Accordingly, the victims were forcibly taken by the ASG members but were later released because they have no money to give in exchange for their release,” said Banac.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had earlier alerted all military forces in the western part of Mindanao, particularly in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, over reports from Malaysian authorities about the kidnapping of 10 fishermen.
Lorenzana had also earlier identified the victims as Malaysians but Malaysian security officials said the victims are foreigners who were just given documents to stay in Sabah.
Most of the residents of Sabah are Filipinos.
The nine kidnap victims were among the 16 fishermen taken by suspected Abu Sayyaf Group members in Lahad Datu in Sabah. The Abu Sayyaf band is reportedly led by a certain “Salip Mura.”
The fishermen were believed to have been kidnapped after they were mistaken as Malaysians.
Banac said it turned out that the nine victims were either Tausug or Badjao, another reason why they were possibly released unharmed. Tausugs and Badjaos are among the ethnic groups in western Mindanao, particularly Sulu.
It is not immediately clear if at least one victim remains at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group since the initial reports disclosed that the bandit group seized 10 fishermen.
The Abu Sayyaf Group is known for beheading kidnap victims whose families could not pay ransom. The military has been deploying additional forces in Sulu to finish off the Abu Sayyaf Group. (Aaron Recuenco)