President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday, September 18, said the safe release of a Norwegian held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf for a year fulfills a promise he made to the Norwegian government even before he officially assumed office.
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Sekkingstad was one of four people seized by the Islamist militant group from a posh resort in Samal Island Sept. 21 previous year. Two others in his group of 4 were – Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall were executed for non-payment of ransom – while Filipina Marites Flor was released earlier.
The freed Indonesians were identified as seamen Lorens Koten, Teodurus Kofung and Emmanuel.
Duterte’s spokesman Martin Andanar said in Manila that “the government maintains the no-ransom policy”.
Indonesia thanked the Philippine military for achieving the release, with help from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
He said Abu Sayyaf had released the Indonesian captives to the MNLF and they would be handed over to Indonesian government representatives in Jolo.
He was abducted in September previous year from the Philippine tourist resort which he managed and was taken to Jolo by the Abu Sayyaf.
“Thank you to President Duterte”, were Sekkingstad’s precise words, according to an Inquirer report.
The military has said that after a medical check-up and deiefing, Sekkingstad would fly to the southern city of Davao to be received by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Kjartan Sekkingstad was retrieved from the southwestern city of Jolo by Secretary Jesus Dureza, an advisor who works as a liaison with Muslim and communist insurgents on the peace process.
Duterte told Sekkingstad and the Norwegian government that justice would be sought for his abduction.
Arevalo said the massive military operations against the terrorists has something to do with the release of the Norwegian captive.
“The three Indonesians, who are in good health, took an Indonesian military aircraft with our Defence Minister, Ryamizard Ryacudu”.
The three had been abducted by an armed group believed to be connected with terror network Abu Sayyaf off the coast of Lahad Datu in Sabah, Malaysia, July 9.
The payment would allow Abu Sayyaf to buy more guns through the black market, Abuza added.
In 2013 the militants also released an Australian ex-soldier after holding him for 15 months, with a local politician who acted as a negotiator saying ransom was paid.
“We are following the situation closely and are now working together with the Philippine authorities to bring Sekkingstad to safety”, Brende said in a statement.
“We know the Armed Forces of the Philippines deployed around 10,000 troops [recently] and now there are 20,000 in the [southern] region to crush the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group”, Ryamizard Ryacudu told reporters at a military camp during a visit to southern Zamboanga City.
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It is based in remote Muslim-populated southern islands in the mainly Catholic Philippines, and has earned millions of dollars in ransom from kidnappings – often targeting foreigners.
