Bandits using human shields vs military drives
By Manny B. Marinay and Faber Concepcion
ARMED men
believed to be members of the extremist Abu Sayyaf seized a teacher and a high school
student in two separate abductions in Talipao, Sulu on Tuesday, bolstering suspicions that
the bandits are taking “human shields” to hold a military attack at bay.
The bandits had
earlier seized 11 Chinese and Taiwanese fishermen in waters straddling the boundaries of
the Philippines and Malaysia, and attempted to bring the new captives to their lair in
Patikul, Jolo.
The Abu Sayyaf
bandits are expected to free soon the first batch of hostages they kidnapped four months
ago from Sipadan Island off Sabah, Malaysia, once the ransom they demanded are paid, and
are suspected of intending to grab new captives to protect themselves from military
assault.
Government
negotiators said the bandits were spooked by pronouncements from political circles and the
military on the need to use force against the Abu Sayyaf once all the hostages have been
freed.
Even the routed
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) appears to have begun resorting to kidnapping to
raise funds and protect themselves from pursuing government troops.
On Friday, a band
of MILF stragglers seized three persons in Basilan and used them as human shields.
They also
threatened to kill a doctor they earlier kidnapped weeks ago should the ransom they
demanded is not paid. Sources said this was also intended to hold at bay their
military pursuers.
Stung by
criticisms it was partly to blame for the oft repeated delays in the release of the
so-called “Sipadan” hostages, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
meantime, said it would henceforth be mum on any developments related to the
four-month-old hostages crisis.
Its spokesman,
Brigadier General Generoso Senga, stressed that the military’s no-talk stance on
matters about the Sulu hostage crisis should however not be misconstrued as a news
blackout.
Talipao
abductions
Armed Forces
Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva reported yesterday that the suspected
Abu Sayyaf bandits kidnapped one Hartha Sahli, a female 3rd year high school student of
Hadji Butu Schools of Arts and Trade in Asturias, Sulu, Tuesday morning.
He said the armed
men seized Sahli at around 11 a.m. in Barangay Pantao in Talipao town, the same area where
the Abu Sayyaf are holding some of their 24 hostages, because one of the kidnappers wanted
to marry her.
At 7:30 a.m. the
same day, another group of armed men, also believed to be members of the extremist group,
abducted a 25-year-old female teacher identified only as “Intang” at the Pantao
Elementary School in the same town.
The report said
the victim was brought to Barangay Galil Dalih by the abductors.
11 fishermen
Reports reaching
THE MANILA TIMES said the 11 Chinese and Taiwanese fishermen kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf
last week are now held in one of the islets of the so-called Tapul group of islands
between Jolo and Tawi-Tawi.
A source of THE
TIMES said the bandits are still seeking ways on how to haul their new captives, composed
of six Taiwanese and five Chinese fishermen, to their lair in Patikul, Jolo, to replace
the 24 hostages set to be released late this week.
The bandits’
plan to bring their additional hostages to Jolo was thwarted by a military blockade in the
area.
The latest
seizures brought to 37 the total number of captives now held by the Abu Sayyaf band
operating in Sulu.
The nine
Westerners still held by the bandits were among those they kidnapped from Sipadan Island
off Sabah, Malaysia on April 23. The rest of their old captives included 12 Filipino
Christian evangelists and three French journalists.
MILF
kidnappings
A belated report
reaching the regional police office in Zamboanga City yesterday said that suspected MILF
fighters kidnapped three people in Lamitan, Basilan province on Friday afternoon.
Two of the victims
were however released by the armed men a few hours after the reported kidnapping in a
remote forested areas of the town. The third victim was brought by the rebels to an
undisclosed place.
The MILF rebels
led by Commander Jalang Ramirez Dansalan alias Bongot snatched the three in sitio Manawit,
Barangay Bohe Sapa in Lamitan, Basilan about 2 p.m., Friday.
The victims were
identified as Ed Bulakoy of Barangay Balobo, Nadjalal Munjalal and Waldi Sali both of
upper Barangay Lumoton in the same municipality. The police said the MILF later released
unharmed Bulakoy and Munjalal.
Families of the
victims claimed they have not received any threat from any armed group operating in the
municipality and were surprised by the incident.
The Basilan police
said they will investigate the incident to determine the motive behind Sali’s
abduction.
Police and
military intelligence reports here indicated that MILF rebels’ atrocities are
designed to attract media coverage.
Ransom
Meantime, military
reports said the MILF has given an ultimatum to the family of a woman physician it
kidnapped a month ago to pay the P3-million ransom they demanded.
Reports reaching
the AFP Southern Command from its military units in Maguindanao said that the kidnappers
threatened to kill Dra. Epifania Asetre, a pediatrician, if the ransom is not paid by Aug.
30.
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