More on Philippine Kidnappings
In our special report yesterday on a kidnapping incident at a Philippine marina, we presented all the details that were available to us at the time.
One quoted source, Sherry McCampbell of the Florida-based CSY 44 Soggy Paws, wrote yesterday to correct several errors in our story:
"Steve and Kaz [of Outstripp] didn’t jump in the water… They didn’t get away. Kaz fought like a mad-woman, and so did Steve, and they [the kidnappers] decided the two men who came running down the dock would be easier to abduct."
According to Sherry, we (and other news sources) published an inaccuracy regarding those who were taken:
"John [Ridsdel] from Aziza was taken. His Filipina partner was not taken. I can’t remember her name, but she is here definitely. It was Rob [Hall]’s partner on Renova who was taken. As of last night here [Tuesday morning here], even the marina did not know her last name. I heard it was Tess, but nobody seems to know for sure."
At this time no group has taken responsibility for the attacks, nor has a ransom request been made, but there’s widespread speculation that ransom was a motive. In the aftermath of Monday’s late-night attack, some witnesses speculated that the choice of victims was random, but several Canadian news sources seem to be speculating that Ridsdel and Hall were key targets, due to their affiliation with a Philippine mining company. CNN Philippines reports that Risdel was the firm’s "country manager," while Hall is a geologist.
According to the Toronto Star, Ridsdel, 68, "had undergone extensive hostile environment training and a quarter-century of risk-related travels, including stints for Petro-Canada in Pakistan, Burma and Algeria." But while such training will benefit Ridsdel, the Star‘s foreign affairs writer Mitch Potter points out ransom efforts can stretch on for many months: "Abu Sayyaf fighters are currently believed to be holding a range of other hostages, including a Dutch bird watcher seized nearly three years ago."
A special investigation task group called Oceanview has been created, and two boats believed to have been used in the abductions have been found. Both military and police units are reportedly searching shoreline areas for the culprits. The Associated Press reports that a naval blockade has been staged around Samal Island to prevent the kidnappers from escaping to a nearby island "known to house militant strongholds."
BBC News reports that, "The last related incident on Samal took place in 2001 when Islamist separatist group Abu Sayyaf attempted to kidnap tourists at another resort."