Handling kidnapping by Ducky Paredes of www.malaya.com.ph 11 April 2002

In every kidnapping situation, the more important thing is the survival of the hostage, not the capture or the killing of the kidnapper. Sen. Ping Lacson is right and the President is wrong on this one.

While it is perhaps politically correct to make brave talk about annihilating kidnappers and their ilk, it is not right to adopt as state policy the killing of kidnappers even to the detriment of the hostages.

What would happen if this was the policy - that we will kill kidnappers on sight and never mind the hostages? All hostages would probably be killed outright as soon as they were kidnapped. Why? Why else would a kidnapper keep a hostage alive if he is not able to use the hostage as a shield and as a bargaining chip?

By making the GMA theory public policy, we take away any reason for the kidnappers to maintain their hostages in good health. Since they no longer count anyway, why not just do away with them?

We also take away any justification for the hostage's family to go to the police? Why should they when the police will not give one whit about the life of their loved one who is the hostage? Their only hope for their victim-relative's survival is if they deal with the kidnappers and tell the police nothing at all. Telling the police actually puts their loved one's life in great peril.

This is not a reasonable policy that the President has proposed. Hopefully, the police are not listening to her. There is reason to think that. After all, in the case of the Pierantoni kidnapping, they saved the hostage and did not take any kidnappers nor did they kill or wound any of them.

In fact, following the President's logic, she should not have welcomed Fr. Pierantoni and ought to have instructed the police to return him where they found him. After all, the police did not follow her instructions to annihilate the kidnappers and never mind the hostages.

Email address: ducky@malayanews.zzn.com

NOTE: Senator Panfilo M Lacson, being an experienced anti-kidnapping operator knows best. It has been his policy eversince to look for the welfare, well-being and safety of the kidnapping victims and it is his foremost concern before any overt acts be done. This was one of the reasons of his disagreement in the concept of operations of then CSAFP Angelo Reyes in dealing with hostages and kidnappers in Sulu and Basilan. Then CPNP Lacson wanted a quick, stealth with elements of surprise, use of trained small commando units but on 16 September 2000, armored vehicles, tanks, artillery fires and air attacks were deployed against the ASG.

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