Five million pesos was paid by the Orena family to the abductors of ABS-CBN broadcast journalist Cecilia Victoria "Ces" Orena-Drilon, cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, driver Angelo Valderama and Mindanao State University (MSU) professor Octavio Dinampo.
This was revealed Friday by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director-General Avelino I. Razon, Jr. in a press conference at Camp Crame, Quezon City.
"We had verified this information through the report which was filed by Police Senior Superintendent Winnie Quidato, a member of the police intelligence group sent to Jolo in covert operations," Mr. Razon said.
Ms. Drilon and her companions were abducted in Maimbung, Sulu on June 8 by armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the same group on which the ABS-CBN news crew wanted to do a feature. The victims were released late Tuesday. Mr. Valderama was released Thursday last week.
According to Mr. Razon, Mr. Quidato said he was present at the house of Indanan town mayor Alvarez Isnaji and son Haider when the two counted the money supposedly handed over by Frank Orena on June 12 as payment for the release of his sister, Ms. Drilon. Mr. Orena and Mr. Isnaji’s son, Haider, supposedly met at Jolo National Airport, where the exchange took place.
Photographs showing Mayor Isnaji and his son counting money from a briefcase were presented during the press conference.
"Mayor Isnaji never once made known to police authorities that P5 million was paid by the Orena family. He only told us of the P100,000 ’board and lodging fee’ that the government of Sulu paid to the kidnappers," Mr. Razon said.
He said Mr. Quidato claimed he had personal knowledge that P3 million of the ransom went into the pockets of the Isnajis.
Also present at the Isnaji’s house during the counting of the money was Sulu Vice-Governor Lady Anne Sahidulla.
Mr. Isnaji took part in the hostage negotiations with Ms. Sahidulla after he was chosen by the kidnappers to serve as their emissary. Ms. Sahidulla was appointed by the provincial government to the local crisis management committee.
Mr. Razon said Mr. Quidato introduced himself to Mr. Isnaji as a civilian employee of the Interior department. Mr. Isnaji had no idea that Mr. Quidato was an undercover police intelligence agent.
Mr. Razon claimed that the police intelligence group found out that Mr. Isnaji supposedly goes by the alias "Laring-laring," who was said to be the leader of the group that kidnapped Ms. Drilon and her crew.
"There is a possibility that Mr. Isnaji is himself an Abu Sayyaf member," he said.
Mr. Razon said that with the eyewitness accounts, intelligence reports, conflicting statements of the Isnajis, pictures taken of the Isnajis counting the ransom money and other evidence that the PNP refused to present at the moment, they have a significant amount of evidence to implicate the Isnajis in the crime.
Mr. Razon claimed that their intelligence group also found out that three of the kidnapping suspects were related to the Isnajis.
On Thursday, the PNP filed four counts of kidnap for ransom charges against the Isnajis and 13 members of the Radulan Sahiron gang, which is under the ASG, namely Solaiman Patta, Walid, an alias James, alias Idin, alias Amrin, alias Adzker, alias Bas, alias Bakrin, alias Rihim, alias Tawing and three other John Does.
Senior State Prosecutor Emilie Fe Delos Santos set the first pre-trial hearing for the case on Monday at 1:30 p.m. The pre-trial investigation will determine whether or not formal charges will be filed before the courts.