Catholic bishops say they don’t condone the government solution that led to the release of Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi: kidnapping the relatives of the kidnappers and holding them as pawns.C’mon, what the government did—if it did as was reported in the news—is no longer your business! You should be thankful Father Bossi is now safe and sound. Period. What’s wrong with you is that you interfere in purely government affairs, like how a kidnapping victim should be rescued. * * * The “kidnap for kidnap” gambit should also have been used in the kidnapping of some guests of the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan three years ago. Among those kidnapped were a vacationing American, who was beheaded later, and American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham. Martin, along with a Filipino nurse, was killed during a rescue operation by government troops. This columnist was among those who advocated kidnapping close relatives of the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers to make them release their hostages. But government negotiators rejected the strategy outright. Why? Because I found later, through some negotiators themselves, that the strategy was not used not because it was illegal or immoral but because some of the negotiators benefited from the ransom money. If you doubt my statement, you should ask some of the Abu Sayyaf captives who received the ransom money. The Abu Sayyaf, for example, would ask for a certain amount of ransom for a particular kidnap victim. The negotiators would double or triple the original ransom demand and would keep the rest. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of those unscrupulous negotiators would find themselves or their relatives kidnapped sooner or later. No karmic debt on earth ever goes unpaid. * * * The government is barking up the wrong tree if it keeps on insisting that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) turn over the persons who beheaded and mutilated the dead Marines who were ambushed in Basilan. As I’ve said in my previous column, the men of Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar were allegedly responsible for the dastardly and inhuman deed. Yes, MILF rebels did ambush the Marines, in conspiracy with Akbar’s men, but they had no part in the beheading and mutilation of the dead Marines. Why is the government so afraid of Akbar? I can only surmise: If Akbar starts opening his mouth a lot of people in the government would be red in the face. The congressman and former governor might reveal the people in the government who allegedly benefited from Abu Sayyaf ransom payments for the Dos Palmas victims. Or, he might pinpoint the source of the 800 pieces of M-14 and M-16 rifles that were delivered to him before the last election. * * * There’s probably more to the mass escape at the Basilan provincial jail last week than meets the eye. Some of the escapees were Abu Sayyaf bandits involved in heinous crimes like kidnapping and murder. Could it be that the escape was part of the negotiations for the release of Father Bossi? * * * The importer of the White Rabbit candy from China is Candyman, the company that manufactures White Rabbit candy in the Philippines. White Rabbit from China has been found by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to have formalin, a chemical used for embalming. Formalin supposedly prolongs the shelf life of goods. White Rabbit made in the Philippines should also be checked for formalin by the BFAD. | 
