Comments on: abu sayyaf: kidnap-for-homeland

By: rocking with da reyna

rocking with da reyna — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:46:14 +0000

[...] the conflict finds me siding with da reyna, having myself (hindi ako nag-iisa) been viciously attacked not too long ago by yet yet another fv blogger across three blogs — in fv, in his personal [...]

By: Kidnap-cum-Beheading Capital of the World? | Filipino Voices

Kidnap-cum-Beheading Capital of the World? | Filipino Voices — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:55:00 +0000

[...] latest terrorist kidnapping holding us all hostage. Please pass this post on until bloggers like Angela Stuart Santiago should receive it and have their eyes opened to the terrible things they are abetting, defending, [...]

By: djb

djb — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 09:13:16 +0000

Angela,
Through your connections with the Abu Sayyaf, kindly pass on this urgent appeal from the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross:

Philippines: ICRC president calls for hostages to remain unharmed
Manila / Geneva (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing to the Abu Sayyaf Group, which is holding Mary Jean Lacaba, Eugenio Vagni and Andreas Notter in the southern Philippines, to ensure that the three remain unharmed and to let them go immediately.

The appeal is in response to threats made by the abductors that they will kill one of the ICRC employees on 30 March if their demand for a pull back of troops goes unmet.

“I am very concerned by the threats of the kidnappers,” said the ICRC’s president, Jakob Kellenberger. “I am asking for their safe, unconditional and immediate release.”

“The sole purpose of Mary Jean, Eugenio and Andreas’ work is to give help to those in need. It is impossible to understand what the kidnappers could possibly achieve by hurting them. Harming a humanitarian aid worker cannot be justified under any ideology or religious law.”

Since the abduction on 15 January, the ICRC and the Philippine National Red Cross have been working vigorously to resolve this ordeal. On 27 March, Mr Kellenberger spoke with Philippine Executive Secretary, Eduardo Ermita, the country’s second-highest ranking official, and asked him to ensure that the authorities do everything in their power to save the lives of the hostages, while avoiding any action that could put the ICRC staff at risk.

“The ICRC’s priority is that Mary Jean, Eugenio and Andreas remain safe and that they be able to return to their families, who miss them desperately. Their children, parents, siblings, spouses, friends and colleagues will not give up hope of seeing them again soon,” added Mr Kellenberger.

For further information, please contact:
Anastasia Isyuk, ICRC Manila, tel: +639 1890 72125
Anna Nelson, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 20 63 or +41 79 217 32 64
Carla Haddad Mardini, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 24 05 or +41 79 217 32 26

By: djb

djb — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:32:28 +0000

Correction, it was the Noon time news on ABSCBN News ANC on or around Feb. 18 that Al Bader Parad was reported as saying they did not want ransom, but wanted the troops to surrender territory belonging to Bangsamoro and move out. I remember it was the divine Ms. Pinky Webb reporting. She also interviewed Dick Gordon that day, who kept repeating that it was a serious Geneva Convention crime and that the International Red Cross would never pay ransom to terrorist kidnappers.

By: djb

djb — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:27:41 +0000

OIC what musta happened here now. You tuned into this thing a bit late, didn’t you? During the first two weeks of the kidnapping incident talk of a huge ransom was rife on AM talk radio. Back then the MILF was brokering, with Mohagher Iqbal calling into his favorite early morning shows on MM BB RMN. I would say it was almost a month into the thing when the Kidnap for territory, now Kidnap for Homeland stuff took over from the Kidnap for Nothing official line, code for big ransom of course. The three were taken Jan 15, I reported on Kidnap for territory Feb. 18 picking up from a PDI news story and opined it was a change due to the IRC’s firm no ransom policy.

Your scoop was 5 five weeks late and you probably do not listen to AM radio very much otherwise you would have known the initial demands floated by Iqbal were for $5 million. Each.

By: djb

djb — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:10:12 +0000

Time is almost up for the three Red Cross workers, many people reckon.

We however, have a life yet to live, rich with possibility, and the potential to do good or to do evil.

I assert that your position abets further evil, for both sides, for all sides. For everyone.

A human head is a terrible thing to waste for such an abstract concept as a homeland.

And what do you know of the concept that might be in Al Bader Parad’s head?

And what is it doing in yours?

I am a virus hunter you see. That is what I do as blogger. I hope you will indulge my attempts at a forensic diagnosis of your brain on the subject of terrorism.

By: djb

djb — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 08:05:07 +0000

Angela,
So you think you have a scoop and that I reacted because you reported and supported the Kidnap for Homeland idea and that I didn’t?

Well take a look at this Philippine Commentary post from February 18, 2009 — five whole weeks before this March 25 pro-terrorist screed you have just published.

Kidnap-for-Territory: A New Terrorist Tactic

Well Angela I’m calm now. But I am even more appalled, nay disgusted, at your lack of simply humanity or even womanity.

We must have a good palaver with you right now about this terrorist thingy.