SINGAPORE—Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted on Monday that the companies which employed two recently freed Indonesians had paid a ransom of P20 million to their captors in southern Philippines. Lorenzana did not identify the captives but the military said two Indonesian hostages were freed last month by the Abu Sayyaf, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Security analysts had said ransom was paid for the release by the Abu Sayyaf last year of a Norwegian hostage, although the Philippine and Norwegian governments denied it. Jolo is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, which is known to behead its victims if ransoms are not paid. The government is trying to “convince the companies and the families not to pay ransom because every time they pay ransom they make the kidnappers stronger,” he said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 24, 2017 20:06 UTC