ZAMBOANGA CITY, 1 November 2003 — The man who was reported to have escaped from a kidnap gang yesterday recanted his statement that his companions were executed by their captors in the southern province of Tawi-Tawi.
Novelito Arcosel was one of six people seized on Oct. 5 by bandits at the Borneo Paradise Eco-Farm resort in Sabah, Malaysia, where was worked as a front desk clerk. On Monday, police claimed to have rescued the 19-year old man after a supposed gunfight with suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in Tawi-Tawi’s Languyan town.
On the other hand, Arcosel, who passed himself off as an Indonesian national to Filipino interrogators, claimed that he was the only survivor of an execution by their captors. He said two of the victims were his parents.
Military investigators, however, said yesterday that Arcosel recanted his story after he was identified by an informer as a Filipino. “Now he admitted that he is a Filipino, but he would not say why he lied. Most of the time, Arcosel would remain silent and refused to cooperate with the military or tell us the truth,” a security official, who asked not to be named, said.
The military said it was not sure whether the five Sabah hostages are still alive or dead.
The military stepped up the search for the five resort workers yesterday in hopes of finding them alive.
Suspecting that Arcosel has links with the kidnappers, the military has detained him for further interrogation.
A verification by the Philippine military in Sabah also showed that Arcosel’s parents are alive.
The military said the five remaining hostages were identified as Indonesians Amir Nanggi, 50; Arsyad Sagoni, 45; Suwito, 23; Annuar, 27; and Azarah Saraban, 50, a Filipino.
“Arcosel is still being held for further questioning,” military spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero said.
