Seventeen members of an Islamic State-linked militant group have been sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in the kidnapping of foreign and Filipino nationals in Malaysia nearly 25 years ago, the Philippine Department of Justice announced on Monday, October 21.
In April 2000, Islamist extremist group Abu Sayyaf abducted 21 people at gunpoint from a holiday resort on the Malaysian island of Sipadan. The hostages, who included nationals from the Philippines, Finland, France, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia, and South Africa, endured months of captivity in the jungles of Jolo, a remote area about 955 kilometers (515 miles) south of Manila. They were eventually freed after millions of dollars in ransom were paid.
The 17 convicted were found guilty on October 16 of 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom, according to a 157-page court decision seen by AFP. Each was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count.
“This conviction is a reflection of the unwavering efforts of the DOJ in upholding the rule of law without fear or falter,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.
Among those convicted are Hilarion Del Rosario Santos III and Redendo Cain Dellosa, both of whom are listed on the United Nations Security Council Sanctions List for their association with Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. The pair were also linked to militant groups Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, and the Rajah Solaiman Movement.
While the convicted kidnappers were linked to terrorism, they could not be charged under terrorism laws as the abductions occurred in 2000, before such laws were enacted in the Philippines. However, the court ordered the accused to pay 300,000 pesos ($5,228) in civil indemnity, moral, and exemplary damages to each of the 21 victims.