PHILIPPINES: STATUS OF THE KIDNAPPING OF AMERICAN MISSIONARY IN MINDANAO NOON EDT 17 JULY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000400520017-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 17
• Content Type: MISC

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Congressional Affairs
Washington, D.C. 20505
Telephone:3 July 86
TO: OCA Registry
Bernie Raimo, HPSCI Staffer, was briefed
by the undersigned via secure phone at
1315 hours on 17 July 1986.
Deputy Director, House airs
Office of Congressional Affairs
FORM 1533 OBSOLETE
2 86 PREVIOUS
EDITIONS
STAT
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UCA - ZSO7
Philippines: Status of the Kidnapping of
American Missionary in Mindanao
Noon EDT 17 July
US Embassy sources within the Philippine Government have
verified earlier speculation that the abduction of Rev. Brian
Lawrence by Moslem rebels on 12 July was engineered by former
Lanao del Sur governor Mohamad Ali Dimaporo and his nephew Ismail
Dimaporo. According to Embassy sources, Mohamad Ali hopes to
embarrass and discredit local officials appointed by President
Aquino and to promote Ismail's succeccinn to the governorship by
stage-managing Lawrence's release.
In an'audiotape reportedly made on Tuesday and released on
Wednesday, Lawrence identified his captors as members of the
"Mindanao Independence Movement" and said that they were
demanding a promise of political autonomy for Minadanao in return
for his release. Lawrence stated that emissaries of Mohamad Ali
Dimaporo were present with his captors. He also sa i hat he was
being treated well and had not been harmed.
Both President Aquino and a Foreign Ministry official
working directly on the case have told the Embassy that they
expect Lawrence's release to be secured soon--possibly within 24
hours. The ranking Philippine military commander in Mindanao has
told the press that a negotiating team composed of Mohamad All
Dimaporo, a local Moslem princess, and Lawrence's American
religious superior has been formed at the demand of Lawrence's
captors. According to the press, the same Moslem princess was
involved in negotiating the release this morning of the 10
Filipino Carmelite nuns who had been held since 11 July by what
is now generally believed to be a separate Moslem rebel group.
Our Embassy reports that Lawrence's clerical superior is involved
in the negotiations in Marawi City--the site of Lawrence's
kidnapping--but that Mohamad Ali Dimaporo is in Manila.
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THE WASHINGTON POST
THURSDAY, JULY 17, 1984 -. It 1
;fir.--....
T '~ In ~1? ? XT Friday night from their Marawi hill day afternoon. I want fo iaform my stared their action to allow peace
"'
top convent and taken away from` family, especially my` wife, C2t+ol' ' -negotiations to rrocc:ed first.
the Lakeshore city aboard a boat. Ann, that' l arty fine.-F an# tt Moslem rebels, battled against+t
claimed to belong to a faction of the have not been harmed
s on Tape That e, 14,WHI1 r. ., Physicalty...... .... ~.. ?.........w. ...... ww aaw -leer --uu. u-avrw n.uu.6 ri
71- d Press ? E - hun out by Monda ',. Z, ed the kidnapers 200,000 pesos, war for self-rule for the nation's 5 the tape was delivered by 60,000 people. , w~..
'vl"ar(>ata Alonta'Lucman, 'any. worth $10,000,' raised by local of- millioi$Moslems, most of whom live of former governor All C _ But in. recent year& there have
Moslem. who-negotiated s. Negotiators-'also :made gave the %_ in the r
Thnrsday)=`hloslu
sou ence , a Protestant, rt who- had sent negotiatorsfortLe> been only sporadic clashes wittf
; M ',z pe two US minister, lease of Lawrence and the nn , government soldiers.
released .unharmed 10 ' reeasr"e of the nuns kidna
CaOiO tc nuns hda Ia< ' ' enee, ,in. A taped message: flea and two walkie-talkies an d'. ; warned in a letter to his wife, re- Lawrence said on' the tape t6at~ ^ ~ Meanwhile, military authorities
reiaieed Wednesday, said that he i - promised to work for a grant of am- Ti; leased yesterday by officials of Min- the group holding him is caU.Atli&I yesterday said ci :p;::ted comma-
-4" said.-But there were aoe~ %
well, and that. his captors were not : nesty, Lucman said,.:v' is r io -': danao State University. in, Marawi, Mindanao Independence Man nist rebels kiiieu a former town vice
reports on whether rase
# nieeted m ransom but want in=k . But the regional military com that if the military mounted an op- ment. It was not known wtietLeG, mayor and wounded his brother as
Pala r t depmdence for the;southern Phil- mander in northern Mindanao, Brig. , eration to rescue him, his kidnapers the group is part of the MoroL the t;,a inen left thn U.S. Clark Air ' r
civilian officiah ippiue island of Mindanao, Washing-'!' Gen. Rodrigo Gutang, said that no,',, would kill him. The letter was dated eration Front. h 4; B&sia in the not them Philippines.
lia- : also expected the release soaa~ toa. _; Pose, special: a correspondent, ti ransom had been Pstd..' , ,t. -A Sunday and received by his wife on President Corawn A9umo Tues.., -- In another development.,
as
" ,
of o~ Hem Abby Tan reported from,Mamla1' We were treated very well, lust` Tuesday. .. - day rejected an original ransom umo?a tail chi
b`ed
d 1. PP panel
YAawrence was., abducte& by " tber mms'were turned over to Moss daleine Ldesma mother superior is The captive missionsrysaid on the the n a u.as w and' ordd . .eredth .. abuses .. by th wee.mili ili r.wwri . V
y , tbe'~ '. '
are men on Saturday in lI .Lem elders atdawnwin the' town of' of the freed nuns, told reporters m' the tape released by military au forces to take decisive action ot end cos' rule has rejected during cVla1- suggestions ..
,the provincial capital of tluk40 Yanagi, outside Marawi, ' Marawi.'r,. thorities and played on several ra? the warlordism and banditry in the from the Philippine armed forces to
:,.
nth' Min? 500 miles south of Manila ~ w The 10 nuns of the Carmelite: dio stations monitored 'in Manila;` provinces ?' : ~ .. !,t ' ? . investigate abuses by the comnuk- -.
:La. ao del Sur: ;L~cmaa said the emissariei; hand order were abducted at gunpo' mt "This is Brian Lawrence. It is Tues, But the milltar)' aPPeseed to have nist rebels
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