An American held captive by Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines may have gone willingly to the gunmen's hideout, the government's highest security official said Thursday.
"We have feedback from our field units that it's as if it is a 'willing' kidnapping," National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said, referring to the abduction of Jeffrey Schilling, 24, by the Abu Sayyaf, based on the southern island of Jolo.
Aguirre said Schilling was seen with his Filipina Muslim fiancee going to Jolo with Abu Sayyaf members from the southern city of Zamboanga before the gunmen announced on Tuesday they had kidnapped him.
"Mr. Schilling willingly went with the Abu Sayyaf leaders when he was accompanied there (to Jolo) from Zamboanga City," Aguirre said, quoting the unidentified field units.
He also cited the admission of Schilling's fiancee, Ivi Usani, that she was a relative of Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Sabaya.
Aguirre said the government had to "further validate and look deeper into that."
He suggested that the trip of Schilling, a convert to Islam, may have been done "for purposes of propaganda."
Aguirre also said that if Schilling was a willing guest of the Abu Sayyaf, "we will not be (as) interested because there is willingness on his part."
The Abu Sayyaf gunmen have said Schilling is a hostage and have threatened to kill him unless the US government free several convicted Muslim terrorists in US prisons.
Zamboanga City police chief Superintendent Karib Muamil said Usani told lawmen during questioning the Abu Sayyaf invited them to visit their hideout and that the couple had gone to Jolo island where they were met by Abu Sayyaf members.
Muamil said the Abu Sayyaf escorted the couple to their jungle base but that once there, a "misunderstanding" occurred between Abu Sabaya and the American.
The Muslim rebels then decided to hold Schilling, accusing him of being an agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Muamil quoted Usani as saying – MANILA (AFP)
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