ZAMBOANGA CITY, 30 October 2003 — Philippine authorities yesterday detained an Indonesian resort worker who was “rescued” from a group of kidnappers on suspicion that he has links with the gang who seized them from a resort in Sabah, Malaysia.
The military’s Southern Command took custody of Novelito Arcusil for further interrogation two days after his supposed rescue by police in the coastal town of Languyan in the southern province of Tawi-Tawi province, Arab News learned.
The 19-year old Indonesian, also known as Nonoy and Norberto Arcosel, was among six people that gunmen kidnapped on Oct. 5 from the Borneo Paradise Eco-Farm in Sabah’s Lahad Datu.
The kidnappers demanded 10 million ringgits from the resort owner in exchange for their safe release.
Arcusil claimed that that rebels executed his mother and father and five other victims after negotiations for their release collapsed on Monday. But police and soldiers have not found the bodies in Languyan town, where a massive military operation is going on to track down the bandits.
The military suspected Arcusil as having links with the kidnappers after he was positively identified by a government informer as a Filipino, who got his passport in Zamboanga City last year, sources said.
A verification by the Philippine military in Sabah also showed that Arcusil’s parents are alive. Arcusil told the police that the bandits ordered all of them to undress and run and then shot them one by one.
He told interrogators that he managed to escape until he was rescued by villagers, who then informed the police.
But regional police commander Acmad Omar said his forces rescued Arcusil on Monday after a firefight with the rebels. Omar said the town’s police chief, Inspector Carlito Lantada, clashed with the gunmen at around 6.25 p.m. after villagers tipped them off about the presence of the kidnappers and their hostages.
The kidnappers were believed to be led by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Idris, who is the brother-in-law of the group’s chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani.
But Arcusil claimed the leader of gang was Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot, tagged by the Philippine military as one of those who kidnapped 24 mostly Asian and Western tourists from the Sipadan and Pandanan island resorts of Sabah in daring cross-border raid three years ago. The victims were ransomed by Libyan and Malaysian negotiators.
President Arroyo yesterday condemned the killing of five hostages in Tawi-Tawi and ordered the military and the police to mount fresh offensive against the Abu Sayyaf.
“This is another test of our regional covenant against terrorism. The PNP and the AFP shall forge on with the manhunt of the perpetrators, block any possible exits out of the country and coordinate with Malaysian authorities
