Roundup: Philippine Endeavoring to Battle KidnappingsThe Philippine government is trying hard to fight kidnapping crimes which catch headlines of news media almost everyday.While two dozens of Filipino and American hostages remain in the hands of notorious Abu Sayyaf bandits in the southern island province of Basilan, a series of kidnappings have occurred in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. More than 40 kidnapping cases have reportedly occurred since January with the latest happening Wednesday in the southern province of North Cotabato, where a Chinese engineer working on a local irrigation project was seized by unidentified gunmen. In capital Manila, Mary Grace Cheng Ragasas, a daughter of a wealthy local Chinese-Filipino businessman, was kidnapped with her bodyguard and driver in daylight in the Philippine University campus on Monday. Three British nationals were kidnapped in Manila and held for nearly three weeks before they were released recently. In a bid to effectively crack down rampant kidnapping-for- ransom criminal activities, the government is to set up a new anti- crime body headed by the Justice Secretary, the National Anti- Crime Council. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday reassured that the government is in full control of the country's social security situation. She declared in a televised address that destabilization plots hatched up by anti-government groups were behind some of the kidnapping cases aimed at putting the government in a bad light. But no conspiracy against her five-month-old administration could achieve success, she asserted. Regarding the Abu Sayyaf group, which claims to be fighting for Muslim self-rule in the south, but dismissed by the government as a bandit group interested only in ransom money, Arroyo has taken a hard stance of "no ransom, no negotiations, no ceasefire." The Abu Sayyaf bandits first kidnapped 20 hostages, including three Americans, at a resort in the western province of Palawan on May 27 and took them to Basilan. While fleeing pursuing government forces, the bandits seized 19 Filipino hostages in two towns in Basilan. Eleven Filipinos of the Palawan hostages have escaped or been rescued by the military, or released allegedly after ransom money was paid by their families. The bodies of four Filipino hostages have been found, apparently killed by their captors. The military also feared that an American hostage has been beheaded as claimed by the Abu Sayyaf, but hasn't found his body. While offering a reward totaling 200 million U.S. dollars for any information leading to the arrest of the bandits, the government has deployed thousands of troops in Basilan in hot pursuit of hem. President Arroyo also warned that civilians who provide shelter, food, arms or information to the bandits "can expect no mercy from us." Vowing no letup in military operations against the Abu Sayyaf, the government, however, has designated an intermediary to negotiate with the bandit group, but only for the unconditional and safe release of the hostages as stated by the government. Rampant abduction crimes have not only triggered fear among local residents, especially wealthy businessmen, but also left adverse impact on the economy. More than 1,000 businessmen have registered for firearms to protect themselves and their families in the past five months, according to information released by the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Philippine National Police. The country's tourism industry suffered a blow from the lingering hostage crisis. Embassies of several countries, including the United States and Britain, have issued travel advisories cautioning their nationals to be careful when traveling in the Philippines. Kidnappings of foreigners are reportedly caring away overseas investors. A high-level business mission from Singapore has been canceled, apparently due to the abduction of four Singaporeans in Manila in the past three months, according to local press reports. The Philippine peso also devaluated against the dollar and the stock market is in a downward trend in recent weeks amid the hostage crisis. |
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