Three Killed After Former Senator Taken Hostage in Philippine Jail Standoff

IS-linked 'Abu Sayyaf' Member... Kidnapped Korean in 2016
'Duterte Opponent' Former Congressman De Lima Briefly Held Hostage but Safe

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Sung-wook] On the 9th (local time), three inmates attempted to escape from a detention center in the Philippines but were shot dead by the police. They belonged to an Islamic militant group and took former Senator Leila de Lima hostage during the escape attempt.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (center)'s political rival, former Senator Leila de Lima, was taken hostage in a detention center on the 9th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Yonhap News and local media, three inmates tried to escape from a detention center within the Manila Police Department on the morning of the same day. Two of them caused a disturbance by stabbing police officers who tried to stop them and were shot dead by the police.

The remaining inmate then ran to the place where former Senator de Lima was held and briefly took her hostage. However, the situation was resolved when he was shot dead by a police SWAT team. Former Senator de Lima was later examined at a hospital and was reported to have no injuries.

All those shot dead were members of the Islamic extremist group Abu Sayyaf, including their commander Idang Susukan. Abu Sayyaf is an armed group linked to the Islamic State (IS) and operates mainly in the southern Philippines.

Abu Sayyaf has previously carried out bomb attacks on Holoh Island in the Sulu Archipelago in the southwestern Philippines. In 2016, they kidnapped a Korean ship captain near Malaysian waters and released him after about three months. The Philippine government has designated Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization and is conducting operations to eliminate them.

Meanwhile, former Senator de Lima is known as a political opponent of former President Rodrigo Duterte. She strongly criticized the 'war on drugs' during the Duterte administration but was arrested in February 2017 on charges of accepting bribes from drug dealers and has been imprisoned since. However, de Lima and human rights organizations claim political retaliation by the Duterte regime and are calling for her release.

Manila Police Chief Rodolfo Azurin said, "De Lima was not the target; their intention was to escape." President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also stated on Twitter, "We will check on former Senator de Lima's condition and ask if she wants to be transferred to another detention center."