| "Bad rebels" turn rich MANILA
-- Bad guys: 245 million pesos (S$9.7 million). Good guys: 93 million pesos.
The Abu Sayyaf now has more
money to buy guns than the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Navy.
Armed Forces Chief of Staff
Angelo Reyes admitted to reporters that the Abu Sayyaf had received about 245 million
pesos in ransom in exchange for the freedom of some of its hostages, the Manila Standard
said yesterday.
The money was for
""board and lodging'' of the hostages, he added.
However, chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado said the amount mentioned by Gen
Reyes was highly exaggerated.
""The actual amount
would not be that big.''
House of Representatives Deputy
Speaker Daisy Fuentes warned that with so much money, the Muslim rebels would have more
opportunity to stage more kidnappings.
The rebels are reportedly on a
gun-buying binge.
The PNP has a proposed budget
of 31.8 million pesos.
Of this, only 93 million pesos
is earmarked for capital outlays -- how much the agency can use to buy guns and equipment.
Ms Fuentes also noted that, for
next year's budget, not a single centavo had been earmarked for capital outlay of the
Philippine Navy.
About 4.6 billion pesos of the
Navy's proposed budget of 6.3 billion pesos for next year will be spent on salaries of
personnel, while the rest will be used to run and maintain its ageing fleet of vessels.
Ms Fuentes said there were
reports that, apart from beefing up its armaments, the rebels were building up a fleet of
fast craft out of the proceeds of their kidnapping operations.
""If these reports
are true, then our navy and our maritime police will be helpless in running after them,''
she said.
House Speaker Manuel Villar
said the government should not have allowed the payment of ransom to the rebels.
Makati Representative Joker
Arroyo said the Abu Sayyaf had apparently outwitted the government, which had earlier
adopted a ""no-ransom'' policy.
""The Abu Sayyaf has
245 billion pesos and still the bulk of the hostages. The government had expected a
wholesale deal, a wholesale release -- Abu Sayyaf outflanked the government by engaging in
retail-trade release,'' Mr Arroyo said.
On the other hand, Negros
Occidental Representative Apolinario Lozada said the Estrada administration should make up
its mind on its policy concerning ransom payments.
He also berated Gen Reyes for
spilling the beans, saying the general had cast the government in ""a bad
light''.
""It is unthinkable
that the top military man was the one who divulged a top military secret.
""He should be
reminded to keep his mouth shut.''
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