Key negotiator reveals details of Rodwell's escape
Date March 24, 2013 - 9:10AM
Lindsay Murdoch and Al Jacinto
Warren Rodwell is escorted from a helicopter by US soldiers at a military base in Zamboanga City.
The Islamic terrorists who kidnapped Australian adventurer Warren Rodwell were paid the equivalent of A$93,600 in Philippine pesos to free him, the key negotiator in the case has revealed.
Al Rashid Sakalahul told Fairfax Media the kidnappers were demanding the equivalent of almost A$400,000 when he became involved in negotiations several weeks ago.
“It was really a tough negotiation but in the end, with God’s help, we managed to secure the release of Rodwell,” said Mr Sakalahul, vice-governor of the southern Philippine province of Basilan who has helped negotiate the release of a number of other kidnap victims in the area.
Australian Warren Rodwell during his captivity in this screen grab from the last video released by the Abu Sayyaf. Photo: Al Jacinto
Mr Sakalahul said he did not know where the money was sourced but it was passed through Mr Rodwell’s Filipino wife Miraflor Gutang and her brother Roger.
He said he was revealing how much was paid to douse speculation he benefited from negotiating with the kidnappers from the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group.
“I don’t want to be accused by anyone that I benefited from this negotiation…that’s why I came up with this admission,” he said.
“My only mission is to save the life of Rodwell by getting him out of the Abu Sayyaf.”
Mr Sakalahul said if anyone doubts his revelation it can be investigated by Philippine or Australian authorities or Ms Gutang could be asked about the payment.
“I am clean. My conscience is clean and I swear to God that I never benefited any single centavo from the negotiation and even in the past where I also negotiated for the safe release of other kidnapped victims, I never got any money for myself,” he said.
“I cannot stomach dirty money and use this to feed my family as God is my witness.”
Several weeks after Mr Rodwell, 54, was kidnapped from his home in the seaside town of Ipil on Mindanao island on December 5 2011 the kidnappers had demanded US$2 million for his release.
The Australian and Philippine Governments have strict no-ransom policies.
Mr Sakalahul also revealed that Australian officials played no role in Mr Rodwell’s release, saying that other than Mr Rodwell’s Filipino family only the Philippines’ police anti-kidnapping unit was aware of negotiations he was conducting with the kidnappers.
Mr Sakalahul said he agreed to become involved in the case when Mr Rodwell answered a question through his handlers last week: where was he living when he was 12 years old?
At first, after receiving a call from Ms Gutang, Mr Sakalahul said he was reluctant to get involved because he thought Mr Rodwell could not have survived almost 15 months in captivity.
The answer to the proof of life question came back within 30 minutes, convincing him Mr Rodwell was alive.
Mr Sakalahul negotiated for several days with the right hand man of Abu Sayyaf leader Puruji Indama.
A promise by the kidnappers to release Mr Rodwell was delayed by a day because of bad weather.
Mr Sakalahul revealed a ploy by the kidnappers to fool Philippine authorities over the release.
They said they would leave Mr Rodwell in the town of Ipil on Mindanao island where he was kidnapped from on December 5 2011.
But they instead took him to the port city of Pagadian, about 100 kilometres away and left him at a fisheries building around 1.30am on Saturday morning, ending Mr Rodwell’s horrific ordeal.
Anti-kidnap police took about two hours to reach the location but by then Mr Rodwell had made his way to a police station in the town.
