ASG abducts seven workers in Sulu, demands P5 million for ransom

By Ronron
April 18, 2007

The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) struck again in Sulu, abducting seven persons last Sunday in Parang town and demanding P5 million in exchange for their release.

Belated reports reaching Camp Crame said the ASG faction of Albader Parad forcibly took last Sunday morning at around 9 o’ clock a dried fish laborer and six road construction workers at Barangay Wanni Pyanjihan.

The victims were identified as Crisanto Patrocenio, a laborer at a fish drier company; Roger Francisco, Dinnes delos Reyes, Moises Agustin, Wilmer Santos, Loi Teodoro, and Toto Millas, all laborer at an ongoing road concreting project in Parang.

Patrocenio was first abducted while he was aboard a passenger jeepney from Parang bound for Jolo, the capital of Sulu, the report said.

Sulu Police Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Ahirum Ajirim said Patrocenio was suspected by the group of Parad as a intelligence operative of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) since he was allegedly known to be affiliated with the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc.

Immediately after he was forcibly taken, a dump truck that was carrying all the other six victims arrived at the scene, the report said. It was heading for Indanan town, coming from Parang town, to fetch water.

Police said Parad’s group, numbering about 50, immediately blocked the truck and commandeered it for their escape, taking along the six construction workers on it.

As of Wednesday, Ajirim said they have yet to locate the whereabouts of the suspects and the victims.

He said he had already directed the 1510th Provincial Mobile Group and the Parang Municipal Police Station to “monitor and intensify intelligence gathering” to Parad and his men.

On Tuesday morning, Ajirim said the abductors communicated with the foreman of the six workers through text messaging where they demanded P5 million in exchange for the release of all abductees.

“That (demanding ransom) is their character. They do that for fund raising purposes, especially if they already run out of money, if they are hungry,” Ajirim said of the ASG.

“In the first place, they should not have abducted those men because they do not have money. Those are just ordinary laborers, they could even hardly buy their food,” he added.

Ajirim said Sulu Governor Benjamin Loong had already take steps to negotiate for the safe release of the victims, being the owner of the dump truck and the employer of the six road project workers.

He said the mayor of Parang and the military in the area had also coordinated with the Philippine National Police (PNP) about the incident./DMS