Senate Probe on Loren Legarda

Loren Legarda, the presidentiable is in deep s...h...i...t. She has a lot of explaining to do.

Now that the PNP has charged Mayor Isnaji and his son Haider of complicity to the kidnapping and even received ransom money as what this photo is showing, the PNP and the Senate should call for an investigation into the extent of Senator Loren Legarda's participation in the kidnapping negotiations.

Loren was the one who announced the "unconditional" release of Ces Drilon. She said that the kidnappers released Ces "without paying any ransom money" to the kidnappers.

Now, this. The photo shows wads of bills being counted by the Sulu Vice Governor and Mayor Isnaji calling the kidnappers, telling them that the money has just arrived. The PNP said that the family of Ces Drilon paid 5 million pesos in ransom money and 3M pesos went to Mayor Isnaji.

Question---how about Loren Legarda? How much pork barrel funds did she commit to the kidnappers in exchange for the life of Ces Drilon? Sources say that this was the tactic used by Loren in previous releases. Loren allegedly promise a part of her pork barrel funds to kidnappers of Arlyn dela Cruz and even when she negotiated for the release of an AFP officer hostaged by the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Loren should be made to explain this thing before the Senate. There could be ethical violations on the part of the legislator.

This is a big scandal which could rock the very foundations of Congress. Or, quite possibly, affect the career of Loren.

This is why other presidentiables, such as Mar Roxas, avoided being enmeshed in this controversy. They recognized early on that politics has nothing to do with police matters, such as this high-profile kidnapping.

Politics complicates police operations since politicians are not trained to be negotiators. Over at Filipinovoices.com, Nick pointed this out and surely, Loren should have been advised not to involve herself with this. She may have earned "ganda" points, but what about this latest development? Surely, her name would be dragged into this controversy.

I hate to say it to a friend, but Loren has a lot of explaining to do.

Great Story Angles May not be sensationalism Butch

I grudgingly accept Butch's take on the changing face of journalism (read it now at www.filipinovoices.com). Like the Inquirer (which is number 1 in a recent Nielsen survey), ABS-CBN 2 leads all networks because of its interesting content and packaging of its stories. Yes, people view it as "sensationalism" and ABS-CBN people would probably say "so what"?

Question--why would ABS-CBN go to such lengths as "sensationalizing" their content? Are they really doing it?

What other people would deem "sensationalism", may not be the case really for ABS-CBN 2. Consider.

Watch TV Patrol and its content follows very strict journalist principles. You'll find that its a complete rendering or presentation of the facts involved. What, I think people see is how they presented it--with scoring, tight shots and scripts written in a fast-paced style. Is that sensationalism? No.

Butch, it's what in the industry calls, " presenting news in a different light". ABS-CBN, like the Inquirer, goes after great story angles. That's the secret why they always trounce the competition because, in the case of GMA 7, they don't present the angle that people of all ages and across the economic spectrum would understand.

The core of communication is being able to communicate effectively. That is what ABS-CBN is doing and also Inquirer. Gone are the days when a network would just present the news "Newswatch" style and still be able to attract viewers. People should take notice. And the only way to nudge people from their seats is present news in an interesting way.

That's what ABS-CBN and the Inquirer are doing.

And people like Ces Drilon, journalist of the old tradition, goes out of their way to give the people news that matter.

Funny Twist on Ces kidnapping

At last, one of the TV crew of Ces Drilon has been released--unharmed. Initial reports say government negotiators paid P 2 million for the release of Valderrama. There's also some relief that ABS-CBN 2 is in close and constant contact with Ces Drilon.

And I would like to take this chance to apologize to the members of the Abu Sayyaf Group based in Jolo. It seems that, from the information being gathered so far, the group is not really the ones responsible for this kidnapping caper. No.

Based on current information, there's some credibility to the news that other groups, possibly belonging to a military asset, kidnapped Drilon and blamed it on the ASG. The fact that no statement has been issued by the terror group indicates that they are not really behind the abduction.

Nonetheless, I stand by my earlier posts demanding for the obliteration of the name "Abu Sayyaf". I still believe that Muslims everywhere should do their duty to cleanse the name of Islam in Jolo and those of the kind people of Sulu and the Tausugs.

The "brand name" of the Abu Sayyaf has been tarnished beyond repair. Imagine, every lawless element there could just claim to be Abu Sayyaf members and demand a high ransom.

Preserve the purity of the Bangsamoro struggle by forming another group that would push the idea of independence without resorting to terrorism as a means of struggle.

Followup on Ces kidnapping

Malacanang did the right thing when it enjoined other media outlets to keep their silence on the kidnapping. That's a correct move. Terrorists like the ASG want nothing more than publicity. Money is just a secondary thing for them.

That's why its most imperative for bloggers to be responsible also like mainstream media. Everyone who knows something about this abduction should cooperate with government in solving this issue, if this, indeed, was an abduction. If Ces was abducted by the legitimate ASG members, chances are, she's okey. However, if pseudo members of the group masterminded this caper, then, its a totally delicate situation which must be approached with extreme caution by everyone. Why?

Because Ces could be used as a political pawn by those who want to destabilize the government. She could be killed. Or she could be harmed.

I ask our fellow Muslim brothers in Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan--help secure the safety of my friend Ces Drilon. Help convince her abductors to turn Ces over to the civilian authorities in that area. Tell her to call the ABS-CBN desk and assure her bosses that she and her crew are safe and sound.

A safe and unharmed Ces Drilon will prove to the world that in that part of the world, civility and humanity are still being exercised by the Slaves of Allah SWT.

Insights on the "kidnapping" of Ces Drilon

Last Saturday, ABS-CBN anchor Ces Drilon and her TV crew went missing somewhere in Kulasi town in Sulu. Initial reports say they were kidnapped by the notorious Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

Ces is the third local journalist to be kidnapped by the group, the first one being another ABS-CBN crew covering the Sipadan hostage crisis in 2000 and the next was Inquirer correspondent Arlyn dela Cruz. Former journalist and now Vice President Noli de Castro was himself nearly kidnapped by the ASG when he, along with several other media personalities, visited the camp of the ASG at the height of the Sipadan hostage crisis. The kidnapping of dela Cruz was, I think, the longest one. Reports say Dela Cruz was actually kidnapped by military agents posing as ASG members. That’s the reason why she was allegedly given the water treatment and subjected to both physical and mental torture. No legitimate Islamist group would ever subject their hostages, especially a female, to inhumane treatment since this is prohibited in Islam.

I shudder to think the same thing happened to Ces, since initial reports indicated that she was taken by a certain Pader, a local ASG commander, and Jundain. Jundain is a former MNLF integree who recently joined the ASG, reports say. If this is the case, then, the kidnapping is probably a move to counter a possible interview with the legitimate ASG group.

However, I do believe that all indications point to a release within the next few days. It could be that Ces was made as an unwilling pawn in the ASG’s publicity efforts. Since the death of Khadaffy Janjalani and other more prominent ASG leaders, no news has since been reported about this group. With this alleged kidnapping, the world has, again taken notice. The news could further increase funding for the group and for what?

All indications point to a resumption of open and more serious hostilities between Philippine security forces and the ASG. After the break in the peace process, Mindanao is again starting to become a flashpoint in the entire region. Reports indicate a possible convergence of forces among various Bangsamoro groups in the area. The MILF has been beating their war drums, preparing for war. After a much-publicized independence call, nothing much has been heard of the MNLF. Reports show that some MNLF fighters have joined the ASG, a not surprising development since most ASG fighters did emanate from the ranks of the MNLF.

With the kidnapping of Ces Drilon, it is again imperative for ALL security analysts to train their sights on Sulu. Another note-worthy indication—this kidnapping occurred after the release of Nur Misuari. Is there a connection?

Another note--could this be a precursor to pressure Congress to pass the disputed ancestral domain provision of the peace agreement between the MILF and the government? This is the purported snag in the peace talks. The kidnapping could highlight the problem in the Mindanao peace process.

Whatever the reasons for this kidnapping, one thing is definitely apparent--government should seriously address the worsening security situation in the region. Publicity stunt or not, the ASG continues to be a threat to the stability and security of the entire region.