President Benigno Aquino III. AP/Bullit Marquez
LA Trinidad, Benguet–President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said that a Jordanian journalist and his two Filipino crewmen would have not ended up being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo had the foreigner not deceived authorities about his intention to interview the terror group.
Mr. Aquino said the government was monitoring the recent development in the case of Baker Atyani, bureau chief of the Al-Arabiya News Network in Southeast Asia, as he admitted that they were getting “confusing” information on the actual circumstance of the journalist and his crew.
Medyo confused ang information na umaabot sa amin (We are getting somehow confusing information),” the President told reporters here at the Benguet State University after leading the oath-taking rites of new members of his Liberal Party on Monday morning.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo had said Atyani was now being held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf after the latter interviewed the bandits.
Both Robredo and Mr. Aquino had slammed Atyani earlier for not informing authorities of his plan to interview the Abu Sayyaf.
“I want to repeat: It shouldn’t have happened if the guy had not misled the appropriate authorities. That is the issue. And he has caused damage at the same time …,” the President said,