Sulu governor denies role in Lorenz ransom
JOLO, SULU (ABS-CBN) -
Sulu governor Abduskaur Tan on Tuesday denied reports that payment of an undisclosed
ransom for the release of German journalist Andreas Lorenz by Abu Sayyaf extremists took
place in his residence.
In an interview on DZMM, Tan admitted that negotiations for Lorenz's
release were held in his house but denied that money was handed over by Der Spiegel
magazine senior official Dr. Olaf Ilao.
"HIndi po doon nagkabayaran, kung meron silang ano. Tama po yon na
pumunta sila sa bahay ko at may dala silang mga bag pero hindi naman sinabi sa akin kung
ano ang laman ng bag. I did not see what was inside the bag and I expected that they were
not going to bring down anything in my house," Tan claimed.
[If ever there was any (ransom payment), it did not take place in my house.
It is true that they went to my house bringing bags but they did not say what was inside
the bags . . . .]
Tan further claimed he refused to take part in negotiations for the release
of Lorenz, particularly after Olaf insisted that a huge ransom be paid to facilitate his
employee's release.
"Initially nung lumapit yan sa akin itong si Dr. Ilao ay sabi ko sa
kanya we will only pay P200,000. Pero ang sabi niya sa akin, 'But it is too small,'' but I
said, 'If you want to pay then I will not negotiate.' "
[Initially when Dr. Ilao sought my assistance, I told him that we will only
pay P200,000. But he remarked, 'But it's too small,' but I said, 'Iif you want to pay,
then I will not negotiate.']
Tan added that another reason why he refused to take part in talks for
Lorenz's release is that Ilao already employed a certain Cocoy Bulawi to negotiate with
the abu Sayyaf bandits.
"Actually, he brought Cocoy Bulawi into the picture. Ang sabi niya ay
kausap na niya si Cocoy since the very beginning. So ang sabi ko sa kanya, if you are
bringing anybody into the picture to negotiate, then I can only assist you as the chief
executive of this province. So yun po ang nangyari, sila-sila po ang nakipag-negotiate. I
did not know anything about their arrangement except when they came back for the release
of Lorenz," Tan said.
[Actually he brought Cocoy Bulawi into the picture. He told me that he was
already speaking with Cocoy since the very beginning. So I told him (Ilao) that if you are
bringing anybody into the picture to negotiate, then I can only assist you as the chef
executive of this province. So that is what happened, they were the ones who negotiated. I
did not know anything about their arrangement except when they came back for the release
of Lorenz.]
Despite his denial, Tan did not rule out the possibility that a ransom was
indeed paid to free the German journalist.
"Maari po yun. But ang sabi ko sa kanila, dahil naliliitan sila sa
P200,000 pesos ang sabi ko bahala kayo, ayaw kong makialam diyan."
[That is possible. But I told them, since they find P200,000 too small, I
told them it was up to them and that I didn't want to meddle in it.]
Der Spiegel confirmed in an article that it paid a ransom to a splinter
group of the Abu Sayyaf which abducted their correspondent, and that the money was turned
over at the house of the Sulu governor.
The magazine did not disclose the ransom amount paid for Lorenz, 48, whom
the bandits seized last July 2 while covering the Sulu hostage crisis.
Der
Spiegel's confirmation disproved claims by the Philippine government, as well as foreign
governments involved in the crisis, that a no-ransom policy would be observed.
Tan claimed he did not favor ransom payments for the Abu Sayyaf hostages.
"My conscience would bother me because in the end it is going to be my
problem. If they (Abu Sayyaf) will have money and they will start buying guns and
everything, then they will have more resources," Tan explained.
Lorenz a nuisance
Meanwhile, chief government negotiator Robert Aventajado described Lorenz
as a nuisance who greatly complicated their jobs.
"This is already the second time that this happened to this person, I
don't find it funny because this is complicating our jobs," Aventajado said in a DZMM
interview.
He pointed out that it was not the first time Lorenz was abducted by the
bandits.
"Yan si Andreas Lorenz pangalawang beses na yang na-kidnap. Yung una
sampu yata o labing dalawa ang kasama niyang mga journalists at sila din ang nagsabi na
para sila mapalaya ay nag-bayad sila ng $25,000."
[This is the second time that this Lorenz has been kidnapped. He was part
of a group of 10 or 12 journalists who were earlier abducted and they themselves admitted
that they paid a $25,000 ransom for their freedom.]
"Lumalabas bumalik siya doon sa Jolo, hinanap niya ulit yung guide na
ginamit niya dati, nakipag-meeting siya and then gusto na naman niyang pumasok doon sa
loob kay Kumander Robot. Ang nangyari nasakote siya ng ibang grupo. So iba na naman ang
kumidnap sa kanya."
[It turned out, he returned to Jolo and searched for the guide he had
previously used and he again insisted that he be taken to Commander Robot's lair. What
happened is that he was abducted by another group.]
"Kaya ang tingin ko sa taong yan ay nanggugulo na sa trabaho namin or
meron siyang gustong gawin doon sa area na hindi naman malaman kung bakit, parang more
than journalism na kanyang gawin. Dahil kung ikaw ay ordinaryong journalist ka siguro kung
makidnap ka once ay baka hindi ka na babalik ng pangalawang beses," Aventajado also
said.
[That is why I think this Lorenz is deliberately disrupting our work or
maybe he is up to something beyond the pursuit of journalism. Because if you are an
ordinary journalist, if you have been kidnapped once, you'd think twice about going back
for a second time.]
Aventajado further scored Lorenz's seeming confidence that "he can buy
his way in and he can buy his way out."
The chief negotiator also said he reminded Ilao of the "first-in,
first-out" policy for the hostages' release.
"So hindi kami nakialam sa trabaho niyan. Maliwanag ang policy ko
diyan kay Andreas Lorenz. Pinabayaan na namin na sila ang makipag-usap," he said.
[So we did not participate in negotiations (for Lorenz' release). My policy
on the case of Andreas Lorenz is clear. We allowed them to conduct their own
negotiations.]
More
hostages to be freed
Aventajado claimed more hostages would be freed in the next two weeks
weeks, after he was informed by an emissary code-named Dragon that Abu Sayyaf leader Galib
Andang alias Commander Robot has agreed to release the hostages in batches.
"Nagbitaw ako ng salita na within two weeks ay mapalaya lahat yan
dahil for the first time ay pumayag si Kumander Robot. Napag-usapan yung paglaya ng lahat
hindi katulad earlier na gusto niya ay pag-usapan muna yung mga babaeng bihag, and then
bukod yung mga babae, bukod pa yung three French journalists," Aventajado said.
[I made an assurance that more hostages would be freed in the next two
weeks because, for the first time, Commander Robot agreed to negotiate for the release of
all the hostages, unlike earlier when he wanted to conduct separate negotiations, first
for the release of the female hostages, and then three French journalists.]
Stay away
Aventajado also called on Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
governor Nur Misuari not to meddle in the ongoing negotiations, saying the release of the
hostages may be put at risk.
"Mas mabuti sana na huwag muna siyang ma-involve dito sa negosasyon na
ito dahil he doesn't know from where he left off. Baka makagulo lang dahil kung baga sa
ano eh nabubuo ko na itong pag-uusap ay huwag na muna siyang sumali."
[It would be best if he (Misuari) is not involved in the negotiations
because he doesn't know from where he left off. He might spoil things for us just when we
are about to reach a breakthrough.]
Aventajado claimed this was the same reason why they were compelled to give
up the services of former Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Affair Lee Peng Wee.
"Sa ngayon ay hindi ko na siya ginagamit dahil gumagalaw siya ng hindi
natin naiintindihan. Nagiging embarrassment sa Philippine government, so mas maganda huwag
na lang siyang makialam sa pakikipag-negotiate dito dahil nga may kinakausap siya na hindi
natin kilala," he said.
[We are not using Wee at this time because he moves in ways we don't
understand. It becomes an embarrassment to the Philippine government, so it would be
better if he does not participate in negotiations because he deals with people whom we
don't know.]
Aventajado and Wee earlier figured in a dispute over the incomplete release
of seven Malaysian hostages. Only four have been released.
Malacañang downplayed the apparent feud as "procedural in
nature", saying it had nothing to do with credit-grabbing.
Aventajado said the release was aborted after Commander Robot refused to
deal with emissaries that Wee had sent without the knowledge and approval of the chief
government negotiator.
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