Comelec official’s abducted son is unharmed, father says

(Updated 2 — 4:16 p.m.) The son of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official who was abducted by unidentified men last Sunday is unharmed, his father confirmed this on Tuesday. Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusoph told the media that his 22-year-old son Nuraldin is "not being harmed" by his abductors. "He's not being harmed... we still hope that he should be released," he said. Yusoph's son was abducted on Sunday night at the Bato Ali Mosque in Barangay Sabala Amanao, Marawi City. Yusoph, who has been known to shy away from the media, refused to give further comments on the matter, saying the case is already with the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) of Lanao del Sur and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). A special task force under the NBI will fly to Marawi City on Wednesday, NBI Chief Nestor M. Mantaring said on Tuesday. Led by head agent Arnel Dalumpines, the team will join the NBI Iligan in the conduct of the investigation into the kidnapping. An earlier report by the Philippine National Police indicated that the suspects were demanding nullification of votes in the municipalities of Malabang, Picong, Taraka and Masiu in Lanao del Sur. In a separate interview, Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that there are pending petitions to annul the proclamation of some candidates in some areas in Lanao del Sur. However, he was unable to immediately identify the areas and the candidates. He likewise said they do not know whether the suspects are among those who have filed poll protests. The incident will not affect the way the Comelec decides on petitions for the nullification of proclamations. "Even Commissioner Yusoph said let's decide the way it should be decided," he said, adding that they have no plan of defying the government's policy of no negotiation. "Otherwise lahat na ng natatalo mangingidnap (everyone who loses will just kidnap our loved ones)," he said. Instead, Ferrer said that they are just enlisting the help of "more capable" authorities like the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to solve the matter. However, he said that they have not yet received a report regarding the possible suspects. Yusoph said that what happened is not unexpected. "That's part of our job, we always assume risk," he said. Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, for his part, admitted that the incident is "alarming." However, he said that it is "a very sensitive matter" and said that he is leaving it to Yusoph to issue statements. In Malacañang, Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the authorities already have a lead on the kidnapping but was unable to discuss the matter publicly. A no-ransom policy would continue to be observed in the efforts to rescue Yusoph, Mendoza said in an ambush interview at the launching of the “Beating the Odds" and the “Beat the Odds" books in Malacañang on Tuesday. The PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines AFP has already been instructed to continue pursuit operations against Yusoph’s abductors, Mendoza added. Rido as motive? Besides the political angle, police are eyeing other possible motives in the abduction of the Yusoph's son. Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police director, on Tuesday said they are also looking at ‘rido’ and personal vengeance as possible motives. “Hindi lang pulitika ang binabantayan dito kase pwedeng maging diversionary tactic lang ang pulitika. Possible din na rido alam mo naman dito, pwede ring personal yung rason," he said. (We are not just looking at the political angle because that may just be a diversionary tactic. Another possible angle is rido. It could also be personal vengeance.) Based on the book “Rido: Clan Feuding and Conflict Management in Mindanao," rido is a state of recurring hostilities between families and kinship groups characterized by a series of retaliatory acts of violence carried out to avenge a perceived affront or injustice. However, authorities were focusing on political motives since the captors' seek to nullify election results in various towns in the province and the fact that the victim’s father is a Comelec commissioner. Latag said the CMC, headed by Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., will meet later in the afternoon to discuss the situation. The committee may negotiate with the abductors but it will not give in to the demand, Latag said. Based on intelligence monitoring, the victim and his abductors are still in the province. The police official said they are now focusing on suspected groups that could have staged the abduction but he refused to name them. Latag believed the abduction was an isolated case. “Under control naman ang area, ang situation ay normal. May mga security forces naman tayo anywhere halos dito sa Lanao del Sur...," he said. (The area is under control and the situation is normal. Security forces have been deployed all over Lanao del Sur.) - with Amita O. Legaspi/LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV