Ghalib Andang, the high profile leader of the hostage-taking Abu Sayyaf Group who was arrested on Sunday, claimed that he shared the $21 million ransom payment he received in 2000 with 10 mediators, including a military general.
Andang said he received only a "measly P10 million" ($181,818) in ransom, out of which he gave P1 million ($18,181) each to his first and second wife, P2 million ($36,363) to his third wife, P4 million ($72,727) to Abu Sayyaf leader Mujib Susukan.
| Wifey number 3 is the double-jointed 13-year-old... |
The Malaysian government and representatives of Libyan President Muammar Kaddafi had paid $1million for each of the hostages, or a total of $21 million. In a letter he sent to Oliver Lozano a week before his capture, Andang, who is the 20th Abu Sayyaf bandit to be arrested for kidnappings in Sipadan, said that majority of the money was taken by a government negotiator. Sources alleged that Andang was referring to Robert Aventajado, the negotiator assigned by President Joseph Estrada, to negotiate the release of 21 mostly foreign hostages who were abducted from a resort in Sipadan, Malaysia in 2000.
I hope somebody's hitting Robert very hard, very many times, even as we speak blog. But they probably aren't... |
Three German nationals who had been taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in 2000, had told German newspaper Der Spiegel, at the time that part of the ransom went to the government’s chief negotiator. Aventajado’s conversation with Andang was recorded by a high technology communications system. Later, Aventajado repeatedly denied the accusations that he allegedly received more than 50 per cent of the ransom payment.
| If we're lucky, someone in the Philippine government will deny nailing Robert's scrotum to the top of a very tall tree, with him dangling from it. But we probably won't be lucky. No doubt he's suffered enough, what with the loss of reputation and all... |
In the same letter, Andang said that the ransom money also went to local officials, businessmen, a legislator, a diplomat, a Muslim general, and a leader of the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a group that had forged a peace settlement with the government in 1996. Each of the beneficiaries received commissions of four to five per cent of the total ransom payment, Andang said. Sources said this would amount to $1.155 million each. In his letter, Andang identified the people who benefited from the ransom payment which was earlier believed to have been given solely to the hostage-taking group. Andang will reveal the names of government officials who benefited from the multi-million-peso ransom that was paid to the Abu Sayyaf, said Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, Armed Forces public information chief. "That’s one of the concerns we are going to look into during the tactical interrogation of Andang," Lucero said, adding that authorities will also find out those who supported the Abu Sayyaf during the past years.
My guess would be either MILF or the Magic Kingdom, though it’s probably both ...
| The Magic Kingdom owns MILF, MILF owns Abu Sayyaf. Surprisingly enough, it's all about o-o-o-i-i-l... Oh. You're not surprised? Don't curl your lip that way. It's gonna stay that way one of these days. These are the Just Demands™ of the Moro people, claiming their historical birthright. They need that money to... ummm... fund madrassahs. And for charities. |
One of Andang’s wives and a female negotiator arranged a meeting between Lozano and Andang in Jolo, in Mindanao in July 2002. But leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and government officials prevented Andang from giving up.
| I imagine Commander Robot's life insurance underwriter is on some heavy duty medication at this moment... |
|