Manila Times/Manila

The three foreigners and a Filipina snatched from a resort in Samal Island last week may be in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf Group, Mohaqer Iqbal, chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said yesterday.
Iqbal, also the chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said his group received intelligence reports that the four victims kidnapped in Davao Del Norte province have reached the bailiwick of the ASG in Indanan town on the island province of Sulu.
Iqbal’s revelation supported the statement of a police intelligence officer who told Manila Times that the four captives that include two Norwegians and a Canadian may have been taken by the same ASG group that kidnapped German Stefan Viktor Ononek and Henrite Dielen in 2014.
“The responsible ASG sub leader behind last week’s abduction in Samal was identified to be Muamar Askali,” the source said.Iqbal said the MILF is “not 100% certain” that the four victims are being held by the ASG.
However, he said intelligence reports coming from the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) team of the MILF under Abdul Dataya indicated that the victims are in the bailiwick of the ASG that has links to international terrorist organisations.
“So far, we haven’t received more detailed information on the situation of the victims aside from their probable whereabouts. We were told that the group stayed in Davao Oriental for three days before proceeding to Sulu,” he explained.
He turned down proposals that the MILF help government troops rescue the four victims.“We already have a participation there through the AHJAG which has been closely monitoring the developments. None of our combatants can participate in the actual operations because it will violate the terms of reference,” Iqbal said.
According to him, the ASG usually grows in number whenever the group has hostages with them because of the huge ransom involved.
He said kidnapping to the ASG is a “backyard industry” that has the support of local communities.
“It is hard to speak or deal with them because their language is money. They don’t respect even their fellow Muslims,” the MILF official said, referring to the kidnapping of TV journalist Abu Bakr Atyani in 2012.
The journalist was freed eventually after reportedly paying a huge sum.