Yusoph kidnap blamed on dirty politics

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Local officials blamed “dirty politics” for the kidnapping of Nuraldin Yusoph, the son of Commissioner Elias Yusoph of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Although no ransom was paid by the family for the release of Yusoph, some local officials believed that some politicians voluntarily paid off the kidnappers for “board and lodging.”

Members of the Lanao del Sur provincial peace and order council said there is a big possibility that certain local officials voluntarily paid the kidnappers earnest money to release the victim.

“That has always been the tradition. The kidnappers incurred expenditure when they snatched him, held him captive, and moved him from Lanao del Sur to Cagayan de Oro City,” said a Maranaw local official.

“There are very persistent talks among us, religious leaders, that he was brought there at the behest of certain people that negotiated his release so as not to embarrass local officials in Marawi City and in Lanao del Sur,” added a Maranaw preacher who identified himself as Ustadz Yahyah.

Local officials in Lanao del Sur said they are also surprised why the elder Yusoph never came to Marawi City during the 29 days when his son was held captive.

The 22-year-old Yusoph was freed last Monday, abandoned by his kidnappers in Cagayan de Oro City. Sources added the kidnappers brought him to the city in a luxury vehicle.

The kidnappers, who claimed they belonged to a “partisan group,” had demanded the elder Yusoph to nullify the election results in four towns in Lanao del Sur in the special elections held in the region last May in exchange for the freedom of his son.

The Comelec though refused the demand, setting off the hostage incident that lasted 29 days.

For Yusoph, it was a nightmare and at one point, he claimed he had lost hope of being released and reunited with his family.

Yusoph said his captors, whom he described as Maranaw compatriots, threatened to kill him about a dozen times and moved him blindfolded before he was set free.

Yusoph said he lost a lot of weight because his captors fed him once a day, particularly during the initial days of his captivity.

Comelec commissioner Yusoph said his son has yet to recover from the trauma.

“He is still very weak and yet to recover. He told us that while in captivity, his abductors fed him biscuit once in a span of seven days,” the elder Yusoph said.

He said his son is expected to recover within days and would soon cooperate with the police in identifying the kidnappers for their arrest and prosecution  – With Mayen Jaymalin