Philippines: Released Norwegian to meet Duterte

By Hader Glang and Ainur Rohmah

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines/ TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) – A Norwegian freed after nearly a year in captivity was due to meet Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday night after he and three Indonesians were released by Abu Sayyaf militants.

The four hostages were freed Saturday after negotiations facilitated by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebel group, which is engaged in a peace process with the government.

MNLF spokesman Professor Samsula Adju told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday morning that the men were being hosted by the MNLF’s fugitive founder, Nur Misuari, in the island province of Sulu before being transported to Davao City.

They later arrived in the southern city -- where Duterte served 22 years as mayor -- accompanied by Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, according to GMA News.

Kjartan Sekkingstad was kidnapped from a resort on the island of Samal in September last year alongside two Canadians and a Filipina. The Canadians were beheaded earlier this year and the Filipina released.

The Indonesian fishermen were abducted in mid-July in waters off the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.

The presidential palace has insisted that the government is unwavering in its refusal to give in to the militant group’s demands, despite reports claiming ransoms were paid.

“I would like to reiterate that the government maintains the no-ransom policy. Now, if a third party or the family gives ransom, we do not know,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told local radio station dzRB.

Indonesia’s defense minister, who arrived in the Philippines earlier this week for negotiations for the fishermen’s freedom, described their release as a “success” owing to “concrete cooperation between the ministries of defense and armed forces of both countries”.

The statement by Ryamizard Ryacudu did not mention if any ransom was paid.

Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles -- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion in a self-determined fight for an independent province in the Philippines.

It is one of two militant groups in the south to have pledged allegiance to Daesh, prompting fears during the stalling of a peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that it could make inroads in a region torn by decades of armed conflict.

In 2013, Misuari’s MNLF faction laid siege to the majority-Christian city of Zamboanga to protest a peace process by the MILF, which Misuari claims leaves Muslims in the country’s south shortchanged in comparison to an earlier MNLF peace deal.