A few months after it has been declared a peace zone, on June 8, 2008, Jolo town in Sulu, southern Philippines is again back in the public’s mind as a haven of bandits and terrorists following the kidnap – and suspected release on ransom – of three journalists and a university professor planning to interview a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf group.
This is the first kidnapping case after a long lull in the province that has become infamous for it, among other forms of lawlessness.
The plot became thicker as police later charged with kidnapping the mayor of a nearby town, who is running for governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections on August 11, and his son.
The Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project through journalist Vincent Sawabi listened to different voices in Sulu – the young and old, the politicized and otherwise, the believer and the cynical – on the impact of the recent kidnapping to their province and to their lives. Listen to know if peace will remain elusive to their island, once known for its bountiful natural riches and culture. (The Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project)
