(Eagle News)–The Palace on Friday, Feb. 22, gave the assurance the government was doing all that it could to secure the release of the Malaysian and Indonesian hostages of the Abu Sayyaf.
In a statement issued after videos circulating online showed alleged Abu Sayyaf members threatening to behead the hostages, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated, however, the government’s no-ransom policy.
“To give in to the demands of terrorists and other lawless groups would embolden them to engage in more abductions that would allow them to conduct extremist and other criminal activities as they could buy more arms and weapons,” Panelo said.
He said government security forces were already hunting down the terrorists, who were believed to have assisted the foreign couple police said was behind the Jolo, Sulu blasts that killed at least 23.
“The ASG continues to be on the run as a result of the order of the President to the military to crush them,” Panelo said.
