ASIA/PHILIPPINES - Positive end to kidnapping in Mindanao: a bishop helped obtain release of sixteen women and children

Manila (Fides Service) - The kidnapping and release of sixteen bus passengers yesterday in Zamboanga Sur in Mindanao southern Philippines which caused great alarm among the local people was happily concluded without any dead or injured. The passengers, all women and children, were taken hostage by three armed men who boarded the bus. When the bus reached the town of Pagadian, men asked for a priest to come on board thinking perhaps that his presence would ‘guarantee’ their journey to Ipil. Instead of a priest the local Catholic Bishop Emmanuel Cabajar volunteered to join the bus hoping to obtain the release of the passengers.
A few hours later while the bus was still on the way to Ipil, the Bishop’s hopes came true: the kidnappers got off the bus and fled leaving the women and children and the bishop unharmed. According to the local police the kidnappers were common criminals rather than a gang of the communist or Muslim rebel groups which operate in Mindanao.
Kidnappings occur frequently in the Philippines and involve mainly foreigners considered a good deal to extort money from the respective authorities and governments.
The area of Mindanao is particularly at risk due to unrest with the presence of a large Muslim community in this the most Catholic country in Asia. The land, scene of centuries old disputes and claims saw the birth of little groups of ‘warlords’ and areas of widespread illegality where poverty and anger supply low cost labour.
The most active terrorist group in the Philippines Abu Sayyaf, fighting for an independent Islamic state. Recently the army launched a massive counter-offensive against the group in Jolo which led to the arrest or killing of various leading members of the group whose main source of income is kidnapping.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/5/2005 righe 23 parole 231)