Kjartan Sekkingstad, the 58-year-old Norwegian hostage of the Abu Sayyaf Group, was released over the weekend a year into his captivity.
Was he, along with three Indonesian hostages, released in good faith? Or did someone pay ransom money?
According to The Philippine Star, more than PHP100 million was paid, and the money had been raised by Sekkingstad’s family and friends from Norway.
The Philippine government has been quick to distance itself from the issue.
“I would like to reiterate that the government maintains the no-ransom policy. Now, if a third party or the family gives ransom, we do not know.” Presidential Communications Office chief Martin Andanar said in a radio interview,
As early as Aug 24, Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that during a news conference in his hometown of Davao City, Duterte had revealed (presumably by accident) that ransom had been paid for Sekkingstad, who, at that time, had yet to be freed by his captors.
Duterte had been asked if he was aware of the Abu Sayyaf beheading one of their hostages, 18-year-old Patrick James Almodovar, in Sulu province on Aug 23.
Duterte reportedly said, “If that’s the one, then I will accuse the Abu Sayyaf of acting in bad faith. They have been paid already.”
Rappler likewise uploaded a video clip from the Aug 24 event where a reporter asks Duterte (at the 0:13 mark), “Ano yung P50 million na nabayaran na?” (“What was the P50 million paid for?”)
Duterte then replies, “‘Yung Norwegian.” (“The Norwegian.”)
When asked by the reporter about who paid the ransom, Duterte smiles and mutters something like, “Ewan ko kung bangko siguro inutusan dun.” (“I don’t know if it was the bank who was asked to do it.”)
So, was a ransom paid or not? If yes, how much was it and who paid for it?
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