A maritime policeman apparently thought freed Australian hostage Warren Rodwell was a tourist when he staggered out of the water in the southern Philippines on Saturday.The 54-year-old former soldier was released early Saturday morning after a 15-month hostage ordeal. He was abducted from his home on Mindanao in December 2011 by Abu Sayyaf. An emaciated Mr Rodwell has been receiving medical care and will soon by reunited with his siblings, who have arrived in the country.
Maritime police told local media how a mud-spattered Mr Rodwell took them by surprise when he waded ashore in the dark port city of Pagadian on Saturday. When asked "Are you a tourist?" Rodwell answered, "No, I'm not a tourist, I'm a kidnap victim. Please help me."
Police video has emerged of Rodwell describing to police how he was how he was put in a boat and told by his
Mr Rodwell's family secured his release by paying a 4 million pesos ($93,000 ransom). Local vice governor Al Rasheed Sakkalahol, who helped broker Mr Rodwell's release at the request of his Filipino wife Flor, said, "They agreed among themselves the family was going to pay in return 4 million pesos to the kidnapper, because that is the only way they can get back Mr Rodwell."
Australian foreign minister Bob Carr said the government had refused to pay the demanded $US2 million ransom. In the Philippines, there have been a number of cases in which ransom has not been paid and the hostages were then beheaded by Abu Sayyaf
Journalist Maria Ressa faced this dilemma first hand when three of her colleagues were taken. Despite serious misgivings, a ransom was also paid for their release.
She said that while governments do not sanction it, they do facilitate it to save lives. She said, "Both Australian and the Philippine government have said that no ransom has paid. Both of them have a policy that they don't pay ransom, a public policy, but as we know in the Philippines and I know firsthand, ransom is paid inevitably in these situations."
The kidnappers had reportedly planned to execute Mr Rodwell over the weekend. In a video released by Abu Sayyaf in December, Rodwell lashed out, saying he did not trust his kidnappers or the Australian government and that he had no faith he would ever be released.
But as Australian ambassador to the Philippines, Bill Tweddell, pointed out, "I think it’s important to remember the timing and the context of that. His sole source of advice has probably been from his captors and so who of us known how he would feel, how he would sustain hope, in conditions like that."