The son of the mayor of Indanan, Sulu, encouraged the kidnapping of an ABS-CBN news team and said it would prove profitable, according to the team's guide who has turned state witness. Juamil 'Maming' Biyaw made the claim in a statement he submitted to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at Camp Crame national police headquarters, a copy of which was obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). 'Go ahead with that plan because it's a good plan and we can make money from it,' Biyaw quoted Haider 'Jun' Isnaji, son of Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, as saying.
Biyaw also confirmed that the ABS-CBN team--composed of reporter Ces Drilon and cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama--had traveled to Sulu province to interview Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron. Drilon and her crew, along with Mindanao State University Prof. Octavio Dinampo, were kidnapped in Indanan on June 8 by armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf. Valderama was released on June 12 and the rest on June 17, purportedly after payment of ransom. The Isnajis served as negotiators along with Sulu Vice Gov. Lady Anne Sahidulla.
The CIDG has filed kidnapping-for-ransom charges against the Isnajis. Father and son, now detained in Camp Crame, have denied the charges. Reached for comment Tuesday on the phone, Drilon said: 'Biyaw should be charged. If he knew that a crime was going to be committed, he could have warned us. But he did nothing.'
Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon told reporters on Monday that Biyaw would serve as state witness in the case against the Isnajis. On the phone with the Inquirer in Zamboanga City, Professor Dinampo was incredulous. 'How could Biyaw become a state witness when he was among those behind our kidnapping?' Dinampo said. 'If the authorities will take him in as state witness, there is something wrong with our judicial system.'
The Isnajis' lawyer also expressed surprise at Biyaw's statement. 'We are surprised,' Jose Aspiras told the Inquirer on the phone. 'The mayor cannot recall having met Biyaw until Tuesday (Monday).' Aspiras also said Biyaw had made a first statement. 'We think there are discrepancies [between the first and second statements]. We are studying all the issues for our counteraffidavit,' the lawyer said.