Mayor Isnaji partake on the paid ransom money, officials said

Miami
June 20, 2008
Story 1: Mayor Isnaji partake on the paid ransom money, officials said

The mayor who stand as negotiator for the release of the ABS-CBN News team kidnap victims kept almost half of the paid ransom money, police officials said.

Indanan, Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji and his son Haider Isnaji now faces charges of four counts of kidnap for ransom after the inquest proceedings done late night of Thursday. The inquest proceedings was finished at around 1:00 am of Friday, June 20.

Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon said they have evidences that will show that the father-and-son Isnaji are suspects on the kidnapping of Ces Drilon, her two TV crew Jimmy Encarnacion, Angelo Valderama and Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampo.

“The Criminal Investigation an Detection Group (CIDG) is holding many evidences that will show that they are involved on this incident. We have witnesses accounts, intelligence reports, statements, pictures and records of events that will show that,” the PNP Chief told the media in a press conference.

Razon showed two pictures that will show the involvement of the Isnajis on partaking on the ransom money. Razon said they later learned that in the afternoon of June 12, 2008 the brother of Ces named Frank went to Jolo to deliver Php5-M as ransom money. Somebody else has brought the money to the house of the Mayor. But the kidnappers released Angelo Valderama at around 9:45 pm instead of Ces. Razon said Php2M was paid to the abductors and the Php3M was kept by Mayor Isnaji. Though it is not yet clear where the money came from if it is from the family of Ces itself or from the ABS-CBN.

Razon learned of the involvement of the two Isnaji after Senior Superintendent Winnie Quidato from PNP intelligence group acted as civilian employee of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) learned the works of the two Isnaji. Quidato volunteered himself to mayor Isnaji to be part of the negotiation team. No one doubt of his reasons on joining the negotiation team because there are other people who are volunteering themselves to Isnaji.

The PNP sent Quidato on the place to be undercover agent after they learned that the leader of the kidnap for ransom group that abducted Drilon and others has an alias of Larin-larin. During the stay of Quidato on the area they also learned that Larin-larin is the alias of mayor Isnaji itself.
“This information came from local sources not only from one source. Fishing together the information that was given, Larin-Larin is the alias of Mayor Alvarez Isnaji,” Razon said.

However, Ranzon admitted that they did not know how did Mayor Isnaji paid the ransom money to the kidnappers, “What we are looking now is if he is really the leader of the kidnap for ransom group while he is the current Mayor of Indanan.”

The CIDG already filed kidnap for ransom case against Mayor Isnaji, Haider Isnaji, Abu Harris alias Tek, alias Taun Wals or Walid; alias James and 13 other John Does before the DOJ. The preliminary investigation was set on June 23, 2008 at 1:30 pm.

Meanwhile, Sulu Vice-Gov. Nur-ana “Lady Ann” Saidula who was included in the picture will not be charged of kidnapping. Razon explains that this is because Saidula is the negotiator of the government side and can shed light on what really happened on the negotiations and on how the Isnaji negotiated for the kidnappers.