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| Southeast Asia | |
| Italian embassy: No word on kidnapped priest | |
| 2007-06-12 | |
| Snipped diplo vapidity According to unconfirmed reports in the local media, the suspect behind the kidnapping is Abdusallam Akiddin, also known as the ‘Comandante Kiddie, the former commander of the MILF," who was expelled from the group because of his illegal activities. However it is still too early to be sure who is responsible for the abduction and there could also be other local criminals who could have abducted the priest in order to hand him over the the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, known for frequent kidnappings for ransom. Abu Sayyaf has its stronghold on the island of Jolo, which can easily be reached by boat from the area where the Italian priest was kidnapped. In a recent interview with Adnkronos International (AKI), an Italian priest based in Jolo, Father Romeo P. Villanueva, said that "poverty sometimes pushes men in the area to carry out crimes that they would normally not commit and the presence of the Abu Sayyaf always makes kidnapping possible." The area in which the Muslim population of Mindanao lives is one of the poorest in the Philippines.
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| Posted by:Seafarious |