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D0J admits Roland Ulla to Witness Protection Program
June 23, 2003
The D0J witness protection admitted today into its custody Roland Ulla, the last kidnap victim to escape out of the 21 abducted by Abu Sayaff from the Sipadan Dive Resort in Palau, Sabah, Malaysia three years ago.
Undersecretary Jose Calida said Ulla and immediate members of his family will be extended the benefits offered to protected witnesses.
He said Ulla's testimony will fortify the 21 cases of kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges filed against the notorious members of Abu Sayaff which cases are now being tried bef ore the sala of RTC Judge Erlinda Uy of the Pasig RTC. For security reason, the trial of the cases are conducted at the Bicutan, Taguig detention center where some of the detained and well known suspects in other kidnapping cases are under custody.
Among the accused in the Sipadan Kidnapping who are now facing trial are; Ghalib Andang @ Cmdr-.Robo4 Mujib Susukan,, Radulan Sahiron, Naadzmi Sabdula and other Abu Sayaff leaders in Jolo, Sulu.
On April 23 2000 twenty one (21) foreigners of various nationalities, including two Filipinos (Roland Ulla and Lucresia Dablo) were abducted from the Sipadan resort by armed men on board watercrafts. The victims were brought and kept under captivity in Talipao, Sulu. After series of negotiations the hostages were released in group from June 23 2000 to August 2000 after ransom payments were made. The group retained Ulla for three years until his recent escape from the hands of the kidnap-for-ransom group on June 4, 2003.
In another development, Undersecretary Calida said benefits similar to Ulla will be also provided to a barangay captain who could shed light into the involvement of a military man in the killing of two human rights group in Mindoro.
The barangay executive, who had signed a MOA with the DOJ witness protection program, when interviewed said he is willing to risk his life. Alang-alang sa katotohanan nakahanda kaming ibuwis aiV laha4 he stressed.
The witness and some of his barangay tanod were confronted in Tambong, Gloria Oriental Mindoro by M.Sgt. Donald Caigas of the 204th AFP Infantry on the night before the two human rights members were found dead.
A day before the killing incident, a group of alleged military men in uniform were after a man who alighted from a tricycle and went inside a house in Barangay Tambong, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro. The alleged military men were asking the man to come down when the barangay captain arrived and talked with the team leader of the group identified as M.Sgt. Caigas
Eden Marcellana and Eddie Gumanoy known members of human rights groupKarapatan were abducted and found dead a day after the victims investigated a mauling incident involving men in military uniform.
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