LEADERS of the mining industry demanded “swift and heavy” justice for the murder of former mining executive John Ridsdel at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf group even as a senator demanded that the Aquino administration step up intelligence operations against the bandit group.
“We are devastated by his senseless and grisly death at the hands of the Abu Sayyaf. John did not deserve such fate and we call on government to bring the perpetrators to justice; justice that is swift and heavy,” the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said in a statement.
Ridsdel led a mining operation in Zamboanga del Norte and decided to retire in the country.
“Despite the many risks to his safety, John loved the Philippines, choosing to retire in the country, appreciating its innate beauty and believing in its people. It is unfortunate, for all that John had given, he only encountered the darkest of what we have,” the Chamber lamented.
According to the Chamber, Ridsdel’s murder must reawaken every Filipino’s commitment to help ensure peace and prosperity in Mindanao and the country.
This as it assured that stringent security measures are being implemented in the different mining operations around the country to keep workers, local and foreign, safe, including limiting travel to daytime and providing security escorts at critical areas.
“We condole with John’s family in this time of indescribable grief. And we are one with all countries in condemning terrorism and will continue to raise our voices against acts that impede on our freedom and our divine right to life,” the Chamber ended.
The Chamber issued the statement as Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto demanded that the government allocate a major portion of its P833-million intelligence fund allocation this year to find Abu Sayyaf “leaders and lairs.”
In addition to this intelligence kitty, there is a P702-million allocation for “confidential expenses” in this year’s national budget, which, according to Recto, can also be tapped in monitoring the terrorist group’s activities.
In all, there’s a P1.5-billion budget to fund intelligence-gathering activities against the notorious group’s “status and intentions,” Recto, a reelectionist, said.
Almost all of this year’s intelligence fund, he explained, is shared among three major recipients: The Department of National Defense—P246 million; the Philippine National Police—P306 million; and the Office of the President—P250 million.
The DND’s allocation is in turn distributed among the major armed services, while that of the OP can be used to fund intelligence-gathering projects on national security threats.
“In the arsenal of weapons against terror, the intelligence fund is very important. It can also be lethal,” said Recto, a shared candidate of the Liberal Party, Partido Galing at Puso, and the Miriam-Marcos ticket.
Recto said the Abu Sayyaf, due to its recent beheading of a Canadian citizen it had kidnapped for ransom, “is clearly a national security threat”, not only because of the barbarity of its crimes, “but also because of their potential to bring their war to urban areas.”
“They are the most violent criminal syndicate in the country today. Their barbarity actually lands them among Asia’s most brutal. We have a regional obligation to stamp them out and wipe clean this blot on our national image,” Recto said.
Recto said the next president should hit the ground running after this notorious group “and the present one must see to it that it is a degraded force before he steps down on June 30.”
He said if the President Aquino’s successor would be drawing up a list of criminals who must be neutralized, then without doubt Abu Sayyaf occupies the number one spot, Recto said.