20 longest days; The Kidnapping of Lloyd Van Vactor in Southern Philippines

Manila, Philippines: New York, N.Y.: New Day Publishers: In cooperation with the Pilgrim Press, 1980. Presumed first edition/first printing. Trade paperback. Fair. v, [1], 197 pages, [1] 23 cm. Illustrations, Maps, Plates. Inscribed by the author on the title page. Reverend Lloyd Van Vactor and his wife, Maisie, served as missionaries of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines 1954 - 1981. They worked in the Mindanao area of southern Philippines; half of the time in an area that was predominantly Roman Catholic and half the time in an area that is predominantly Muslim. In 1979, an American missionary was kidnapped and held captive by the Abu Sayyaf in Marawi City. This book, co-authored by the victim himself and first published in 1980, recounts the drama of of his life's twenty longest days. His was ideologically-based kidnapping. Lloyd had become well-known in Marawi and surrounding areas, and by his popularity and ensuing media reports on his kidnapping, his captors would gain publicity and attention to the plight of Muslims in Mindanao. In the evening of March 9, 1979, 11 soldiers spirited Lloyd from his office. The soldiers turned out to be Muslim rebels. Lloyd would be held captive in this saga that would last 20 days, and prompt Moustafa M. Dreiza, ambassador of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah to the Republic of the Philippines, to help in Lloyd's release. Van Vactor's kidnappers were led by Jalendoni Marohombsar or Commander Alan, Mabou "Bobby" Yushop or Commander Bobby, and Avelino Langilao or Commander Billy Jack. The kidnappers took Lloyd to the mountains west of Lake Lanao and held him captive for 20 days. While in captivity, Lloyd was not told that his wife, Maisie, had died of an ailment she had had for years. Abu Sayyaf is a Jihadist militant and pirate group that follows the Wahhabi doctrine of Sunni Islam. It is based in and around Jolo and Basilan islands in the southwestern part of the Philippines, where for more than four decades, Moro groups have been engaged in an insurgency seeking to make the province independent.