Chronology of hostage takers the Abu Sayyaf group
By INQ7.net, with Agence France-Presse
A CHRONOLOGY of the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group holding some 28 hostages on southern Basilan province:
Mid 1980s: Muslim preacher Ustadz Wahab Akhbar forms a small group of Muslim fundamentalist in Basilan who calls themselves "mujahideen". Most of the original members of Akhbar's group would later be part of the now notorious Abu Sayyaf.
Early 1990s: Libyan-trained Islamic preacher Abdurajak Janjalani forms the Abu Sayyaf (Bearer of the Sword), finding common cause with young Muslim radicals disaffected by the older generation of Muslim separatist leaders in the southern Philippines. The group adopts a fundamentalist ideology, bombs churches and kidnaps Christian missionaries in the south.
January 12, 1995: Abu Sayyaf is implicated in a plot to assassinate visiting Pope John Paul II. One of the alleged foreign assassins is arrested in Manila and later extradited to the United States.
April 4, 1995: Abu Sayyaf rebels raid the mainly Christian southern town of Ipil, killing 53 people and burning the town center.
December 18, 1998: Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Janjalani is killed in a firefight with security forces in the southern island of Basilan. He is replaced by his younger brother, Khadaffy Janjalani.
April 23, 2000: Abu Sayyaf gunmen raid the Malaysian diving resort of Sipadan, off Borneo, and flee across the sea border to their Jolo island stronghold with 10 Western tourists and 11 Asian resort workers. Several Western journalists covering the hostage crisis and Filipino preachers who go to mediate are also abducted.
August 27: Kidnappers free most of their women captives, in negoatiations brokered by the Libyan government. Huge ransoms were reportedly paid.
August 28: American Jeffrey Schilling is abducted during a visit to Janjalani's camp.
September 9: Guerrillas free most of their male Western captives.
September 16: President Joseph Estrada launches a military assault in Jolo. Two kidnapped French journalists escape during the fighting.
January 20, 2001: Estrada is toppled in a popular uprising; Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo takes over and vows to get tough against the Abu Sayyaf.
April 12: US hostage Schilling is rescued, leaving only Filipino scuba diving instructor Roland Ullah in the gunmen's hands.
May 27: Abu Sayyaf gunmen raid the Dos Palmas resort off the western Philippine island of Palawan and seize 20 hostages, including three Americans - Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham from Kansas and Californian Guillermo Sobrero. President Macapagal rules out ransom and unleashes the military against the kidnappers.
June 1: Clashes erupt between government troops and the kidnappers, who are seen in Tuburan town in Basilan island, some 480 kilometers (about 300 miles) from Palawan.
June 2: An Abu Sayyaf "suicide squad" takes over a hospital and church in Lamitan, the second largest town in Basilan, holding as many as 200 hostages. Four of the hostages from the Palawan resort escape in Lamitan.
June 3: Five more hostages are recovered alive as the Abu Sayyaf break out of a military cordon and flee from the hospital, taking four hospital staff as human shields. Lamitan officials later say they they found the bodies of two of the Palawan hostages killed by the Abu Sayyaf.
June 7: Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya gives Manila 72-hour deadline to bring in former Malaysian senator Sairin Karno and businessman Yusuf Hamdan as negotiators, failing which they would behead the Americans. They also asked military operations against them be suspended. President Macapagal promptly rejects the demand.
June 9: A team of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents arrive in southern Zamboanga city to gather information and consult with local authorities.
June 11: President Arroyo gives in to rebel demand for two Malaysian negotiators, after Abu Sabaya issues a final two and a half hour deadline to behead the Americans. Government however insists offensives to continue as the gunmen seize 15 more Filipino captives elsewhere in Basilan in a "diversionary" tactic.
June 12: Abu Sabaya claims his group has beheaded US hostage Sobero and later peddles video footage of his supposed execution, but gets no takers. Government troops recover three bodies including two headless corpses near where he asked them to look for the head, but all belong to Filipinos.
June 14: Sabaya says they are holding a Muslim preacher, Muhaymin Sali Latip, who visited the rebel camp and presented himself as a freelance negotiator. Latip says the rebels told him they killed Sobero, but showed no proof.
June 16: Latip and two Filipino hostages Kimberly Jao Uy and Francis Ganzon turn up in Isabela, the Basilan capital, after a two-day walk after the rebels agree to hand the hostages to the Islamic preacher.
June 17: A P5-million ransom was paid in exchange for the freedom of 15-year-old Kimberly Jao Uy, according to a Philippine Daily Inquirer source who claims to be the "go-between" of the Abu Sayyaf and the victim's family.
June 18: US hostage Guillermo Sobero is now presumed dead by the military. Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan, spokesperson of the Armed Forces, said that Sobero died on the night of June 11, after his captors separated him from the rest of the hostages somewhere in Central Basilan, his hands tied behind his back.
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| PHOTO GALLERY | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | |
| ALDAM TILAO aka ABU SABAYA Sabaya, whose flamboyant character made him a natural for the job of ASG spokesman, made his media debut only on April 2000. A veteran of the Chad wars in central Africa and a former Moro National Liberation Front Bangsamoro member. Sabaya took up engineering courses in Zamboanga A.E. Colleges. |  | |
| KHADAFFY JANJALANI aka DAF/PEK Only 26 years old, Khadaffy Janjalani is the youngest in a brood of five (which includes the oldest, the late Ustadz Abdurajack, and the second to the youngest Hector). "Daf" took up Islamic studies in Marawi City, and received a crash course in military training in Pakistan. Recognized as the "Amir" of the Basilan group. Married to Sherma, his first cousin and the daughter of Ustadz Hussein Manatad, one of the religious directors of the Tabuk, Mosque in Isabela, Basilan. |  | |
| GALIB ANDANG aka COMMANDER ROBOT Andang joined the group in 1995. A smoker (a habit not allowed among Muslim fundamentalists), 'Robot' gained notoriety as a rapist and outlaw in Sulu. He is a relative of top MNLF leaders and local politicians in the southern provinces. Led the kidnapping in the Malaysian dive resort of Sipadan. |  | |
| MUJIB SUSUKAN aka MUJIB Son of MNLF leader Commander Susukan, Mujib is the known as the silent-type operator; a high school drop-out. Together with Sabaya sports long hair and has a penchant for wearing sunglasses. Susukan's father carved a legend as the first MNLF fighter who shot down an Air Force plane. |  | |
BASILAN BASED ASG
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| HECTOR JANJALANI, Hector is businessman by profession, and involved in various trading activities. It was the perfect cover for an intelligence officer. Compared to his younger brother Khaddafy, Hector is more outspoken. Arrested in December 22, 2000 by Manila police in the Quiapo underpass, and currently detained at Camp Crame. |  | |
 Burhan Abdullah |  Saddam aka Abu Sabir | |
 Al Al L. Manatad |  K. Alpha | |
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| PHOTO GALLERY | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | |
BASILAN BASED ASG
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 Omar Daluyan |  Bakkal Hapilon aka Abu | |
 Alhamzer Umbong |  Jumadil Arad aka Abu Huraira | |
 Nur Mohammad Umog |  Hamsiraji Sali aka Jose Ramirez Burkis | |
 |  | |
| Mauran Ampul aka Tiger Lock | Hamsiraji Radji Sali aka Jose Unding | |
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| PHOTO GALLERY | Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | |
SULU BASED ASG
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 Omar Sahibol |  Gumbahali Jumbail | |
 Abu Pula aka Dr. Abu |  Basuan Pael | |
 Jawani Susukan |  Ismin Sabiro | |
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 FORMATIVE YEARS |
| JANJALANI UP-CLOSE |
| SPY OR BANDIT? |
| JANJALANI BROTHERS |
| KNOWING ARLYN |
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INSIDE THE ABU SAYYAFWHO is the Abu Sayyaf and why they are considered a menace in Philippine society? What are the origins of the group and why did a fundamentalist group venture into banditry? Are Abu Sabaya and Commander Robot indeed "deranged" individuals as claimed by military officials? What is the role of Basilan Governor Wahad Akbar in the formation of the group Al Harakatul al Islamiya, or the Islamic Movement? What are the dynamics among the Janjalani brothers, the late Abdurajack, Hector and the present Amir, the 26-year old Khaddafy? We will attempt to answer these and other questions in this special site of INQ7.net. We welcome your comments; please send email to abusayyafsite@inq7.net. Al Harakatul al Islamiya: The Beginnings of Abu Sayyaf ABU SAYYAF, which means father of the sword in Arabic, first crossed the radio airwaves over Basilan and Zamboanga as the call sign of Ustadz Abdurajack Janjalani, a soft-spoken Islamic preacher whose exploits as a mujahideen in Afghanistan had gained him the reverence of Muslim youth. My Affair with the Abu Sayyaf: A Journalist's Story JOURNALIST Arlyn de la Cruz has earned a reputation in the Philippine media industry for her close connections to the Abu Sayyaf Group. She broke a number of stories about them, prompting military intelligence to tag here as the girlfriend or wife of Khaddafy. In this excerpt from her upcoming book, Arlyn gives an intimate look into her special relationship with the Abu Sayyaf's main man. Edwin Angeles: The spy who came in from the cold HALF-TAUSUG, Edwin Angeles aka Ibrahim Yakub, was a government spy tasked with infiltrating a new group in Basilan propagating Muslim fundamentalism. Angeles would lead the group into kidnap for ransom activities, blurring forever the lines between agent and bandit. Letters from the Janjalani brothers THE BROTHERS Janjalani have each written a letter to President Macapagal-Arroyo, one from Hector Janjalani from the Camp Crame jail; the other from his younger brother, Khadaffy, from somewhere in the jungles of Basilan. Read the full text of the letters as well as the analysis of the letters by Presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao. Chronology of hostage takers the Abu Sayyaf group A CHRONOLOGY of the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group holding some 28 hostages on southern Basilan province, beginning in the mid-1980s when Muslim preacher Ustadz Wahab Akhbar forms a small group of Muslim fundamentalist in Basilan who calls themselves mujahideen. See also Related Stories. PHOTOS INQ7.net photo gallery featuring the top Abu Sayyaf leaders including its spokesman Abu Sabaya, Galib Andang, Mujib Susukan, Khaddafy Janjalani, Hector Janjalani, Hamsiraji Sali, Gumbahali Jumdail, Abu Pula, Omar Sahibol, Basuan Pael and others. VIDEOS WATCH news and features on the Abu Sayyaf group courtesy of GMA Channel 7's Saksi news. |
See also Related Stories.
Bandits abduct 20 in Palawan resort
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY -- At least 20 heavily armed men, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, kidnapped 20 persons, including three Americans, from the upscale Dos Palmas Arreceffi Island Resort here at dawn yesterday.
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY -- At least 20 heavily armed men, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, kidnapped 20 persons, including three Americans, from the upscale Dos Palmas Arreceffi Island Resort here at dawn yesterday.
GMA to Sayyaf: Force with force
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- It was the outlaw group Abu Sayyaf that abducted three Americans and 17 Filipinos early Sunday from a high-end resort in Puerto Princesa City, and as proof, its spokesperson put two of its alleged hostages on the air.
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- It was the outlaw group Abu Sayyaf that abducted three Americans and 17 Filipinos early Sunday from a high-end resort in Puerto Princesa City, and as proof, its spokesperson put two of its alleged hostages on the air.
News blackout on rescue effortsPRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday imposed a news blackout on the military offensive against the bandits holding 20 hostages from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.
US offers help in tracking AbuTHE UNITED States yesterday rushed to the aid of the Philippine government in its battle of wits and nerves with Abu Sayyaf bandits who threatened to kill their three American and 17 Filipino hostages.
Dos Palmas hostages reported in Basilan
IT appears that the bandit group Abu Sayyaf has given the military the slip. A day after conceding that the bandits and their hostages might have reached Sulu, Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan said it was "very possible" that they had also landed in Basilan.
IT appears that the bandit group Abu Sayyaf has given the military the slip. A day after conceding that the bandits and their hostages might have reached Sulu, Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan said it was "very possible" that they had also landed in Basilan.
Gov't troops clash with Abu Sayyaf
TUBURAN, Basilan -- Government troops clashed with the bandit group Abu Sayyaf in Barangay Bohe Bessey here early yesterday, leaving two soldiers dead and 14 others wounded.
TUBURAN, Basilan -- Government troops clashed with the bandit group Abu Sayyaf in Barangay Bohe Bessey here early yesterday, leaving two soldiers dead and 14 others wounded.
GMA sees victory over Abu Sayyaf
PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo last night announced that she was envisioning the victory of the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police over the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, which, she said, had been "cornered" by government troops in Lamitan, Basilan.
PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo last night announced that she was envisioning the victory of the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police over the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, which, she said, had been "cornered" by government troops in Lamitan, Basilan.
Abus escape cordon
USING children as human shields against heavy gunfire, Abu Sayyaf kidnappers broke through a military cordon around a hospital and church compound in a Basilan town after midnight Saturday and melted into the surrounding jungle with at least 14 hostages, the military said.
USING children as human shields against heavy gunfire, Abu Sayyaf kidnappers broke through a military cordon around a hospital and church compound in a Basilan town after midnight Saturday and melted into the surrounding jungle with at least 14 hostages, the military said.
Military seeks emergency powers vs Abu Sayyaf
PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo and her advisers are evaluating a proposal to declare a state of emergency in Basilan after the military hinted strongly that such a declaration would help it wipe out the Abu Sayyaf group in southwestern Mindanao, Malacañang said yesterday.
PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo and her advisers are evaluating a proposal to declare a state of emergency in Basilan after the military hinted strongly that such a declaration would help it wipe out the Abu Sayyaf group in southwestern Mindanao, Malacañang said yesterday.
New fighting erupts; 2 more soldiers killedZAMBOANGA CITY -- Fighting flared anew yesterday morning between government troops and fleeing Abu Sayyaf bandits at Barangay Upper Sinangkapan in Tuburan, Basilan, leaving two more soldiers dead and several others wounded.
Abus moving deep into Basilan jungle
LAMITAN, Basilan -- Military operations against the Abu Sayyaf were temporarily stopped yesterday, but the bandits and their hostages are reportedly making their way to the thickly forested Mt. Mahadji in Maluso town.
LAMITAN, Basilan -- Military operations against the Abu Sayyaf were temporarily stopped yesterday, but the bandits and their hostages are reportedly making their way to the thickly forested Mt. Mahadji in Maluso town.
Abu Sayyaf threatens to behead US hostage
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Abu Sayyaf yesterday said it would behead one of its American hostages if the government failed to start negotiations in 72 hours.
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Abu Sayyaf yesterday said it would behead one of its American hostages if the government failed to start negotiations in 72 hours.
President going soft on bandits -- Pimentel
SENATE President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is bothered by Malacañang's "apparent switch from an aggressive stance to a much softened approach" toward the bandit group Abu Sayyaf.
SENATE President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. is bothered by Malacañang's "apparent switch from an aggressive stance to a much softened approach" toward the bandit group Abu Sayyaf.
General warns of long fight with Abu Sayyaf
BRIG. Gen. Edilberto Adan, the spokesperson of the country’s Armed Forces, batted anew for ``special legal measures’’ and increased military presence in Mindanao, warning that the Abu Sayyaf problem could last for the next 50 years if the national leadership does not steel itself to take these ``politically sensitive’’ decisions.
BRIG. Gen. Edilberto Adan, the spokesperson of the country’s Armed Forces, batted anew for ``special legal measures’’ and increased military presence in Mindanao, warning that the Abu Sayyaf problem could last for the next 50 years if the national leadership does not steel itself to take these ``politically sensitive’’ decisions.
2 Abu suspects slain in Basilan
TWO suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf were shot dead and two others were wounded by soldiers in a clash on the outskirts of the capital of Basilan Island on Saturday night.
TWO suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf were shot dead and two others were wounded by soldiers in a clash on the outskirts of the capital of Basilan Island on Saturday night.
Gov’t blinks, agrees to talk with bandits
THREATENED by the beheading of the Americans held by the Abu Sayyaf, Malacañang yesterday said it was agreeing to the bandit group’s demand to include a Malaysian ex-senator in negotiations for the hostages’ release.
THREATENED by the beheading of the Americans held by the Abu Sayyaf, Malacañang yesterday said it was agreeing to the bandit group’s demand to include a Malaysian ex-senator in negotiations for the hostages’ release.
Beheading a bloody ‘gift’ for Macapagal
A GRIM-FACED President Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday promised foreign diplomats gathered in Malacañang that her administration would "decimate" the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, which announced earlier in the day that it had beheaded an American hostage as an "Independence Day present."
A GRIM-FACED President Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday promised foreign diplomats gathered in Malacañang that her administration would "decimate" the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, which announced earlier in the day that it had beheaded an American hostage as an "Independence Day present."
‘No ceasefire, ransom, deal’
RETURNING to her original hardline position, President Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said there would be "no ransom, no deal, no ceasefire, no suspension of military operations against the Abu Sayyaf bandits."
RETURNING to her original hardline position, President Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said there would be "no ransom, no deal, no ceasefire, no suspension of military operations against the Abu Sayyaf bandits."
2 hostages released after payment of P10M
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A total ransom of P10 million was paid for the release yesterday of two female hostages of the Abu Sayyaf, a military official in Basilan said yesterday.
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A total ransom of P10 million was paid for the release yesterday of two female hostages of the Abu Sayyaf, a military official in Basilan said yesterday.
Military says Abu freed no hostages
ZAMBOANGA CITY--The military yesterday dashed hopes that the Abu Sayyaf had released two of its female hostages in Basilan, but the military official who earlier made the claim insisted that ransom had been paid.
ZAMBOANGA CITY--The military yesterday dashed hopes that the Abu Sayyaf had released two of its female hostages in Basilan, but the military official who earlier made the claim insisted that ransom had been paid.
June 17, 2001, INQ7,3 Abu hostages walk to freedom
IT’S freedom at last for three hostages of the Abu Sayyaf, two of them part of the group seized May 27 from a high-end resort in Palawan.
IT’S freedom at last for three hostages of the Abu Sayyaf, two of them part of the group seized May 27 from a high-end resort in Palawan.
P5-M ransom paid for teenage hostage
ISABELA CITY -- A P5-million ransom was paid in exchange for the freedom of 15-year-old Kimberly Jao Uy, according to a source who claims to be the "go-between" of the Abu Sayyaf and the victim’s family.
ISABELA CITY -- A P5-million ransom was paid in exchange for the freedom of 15-year-old Kimberly Jao Uy, according to a source who claims to be the "go-between" of the Abu Sayyaf and the victim’s family.
Military now presumes Sayyaf killed Sobero
AMERICAN hostage Guillermo Sobero is now presumed dead, except that his body has yet to be recovered from the jungles of Basilan.
AMERICAN hostage Guillermo Sobero is now presumed dead, except that his body has yet to be recovered from the jungles of Basilan.
Price tags placed on Abu hostages
"MAGKANO ang kaya ninyo (How much can you afford)?" One after the other, Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Solaiman asked the hostages at the height of the firefight between the military and the Abu Sayyaf in Lamitan, Basilan, three weeks ago.
"MAGKANO ang kaya ninyo (How much can you afford)?" One after the other, Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Solaiman asked the hostages at the height of the firefight between the military and the Abu Sayyaf in Lamitan, Basilan, three weeks ago.
Janjalani brothers ask to talk peace
THE BROTHERS Janjalani have each written a letter to President Macapagal-Arroyo, one from Hector Janjalani from the Camp Crame jail; the other from his younger brother, Khadaffy, from somewhere in the jungles of Basilan.
THE BROTHERS Janjalani have each written a letter to President Macapagal-Arroyo, one from Hector Janjalani from the Camp Crame jail; the other from his younger brother, Khadaffy, from somewhere in the jungles of Basilan.
3 more Sayyaf hostages freed
AN ALLEGED intermediary yesterday said the Abu Sayyaf had freed three Filipino hostages who should make their way to safety within the next 48 hours, but government officials said they could not confirm this.
AN ALLEGED intermediary yesterday said the Abu Sayyaf had freed three Filipino hostages who should make their way to safety within the next 48 hours, but government officials said they could not confirm this.
 *The History of the Abu Sayyaf click here*Abu Sayyaf’s Links To Police, Military Traced click here *Abu Sayyaf: The CIA’s Monster Gone Berserk click here *Moro Group Urges Congress Probe of Sayyaf Links with Police & Military click here *Abu Sayyaf Report: Philippine Daily Inquirer click here  ARMY PATROL IN BASILAN. Army troopers ride in a pickup with their M-16 rifles ready as they escort military officials in Isabela, the capital of the island province of Basilan, southern Philippines. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez Letters of the Janjalani Bros. to Pres. Arroyo click here INQUIRER REPORT: INSIDE THE ABU SAYYAF click here Abu's Commander Global captured in General Santos City Sun*Star Zamboanga ZAMBOANGA -- Nadzmi Sabdullah alias Commander "Global", one of the top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf and the brain of all the bandit's kidnapping activities was captured Friday in General Santos City, a military spokesman, said here Monday, July 9. The capture of Global took place when police operatives swooped down two villages but failed to catch bandit leader Khadafy Janjalani, who has landed in the western part of Zamboanga City. Armed Forces Southern Command spokesman Army Lt. Col. Danilo Servando said Global was captured by combined military and police intelligence operatives at 7 p.m. Friday at Barangay Calumpang, General Santos City.  Global, who carries a P5-million bounty, was captured together with an Abu Sayyaf bandit sub-leader Tuttoh Harawatan and bandits Alex Saddala and Saltima Sali, who has a P1-million bounty each.The arrest of Global and his three cohorts was made possible through the information given by the police and military informants. "The capture of Global is definitely a big blow to the Abu Sayyaf," Servando said as the military expects more development from his arrest. "One thing leads to another and definitely the arrest of Global and his group will result to further apprehension," he added. Servando enumerated the bandits' terrorist activities planned by Global as follows: * Raid and abduction of 21 people, mostly foreigners, on April 23 of last year in Sipadan, Sabah, Malaysia * Detention for a fee of nine foreign journalist covering the Sipadan kidnapping on May 13 last year in Patikul, Sulu; * Hostage custodian in Mount Puti Odong situated in the border of Talipao and Maimbung towns, Sulu where the 21 people seized from Sipadan, Sabah, Malaysia were kept in captivity * Kidnapping of two Hong Kong and one Malaysian nationals in Malamanok island, Tawi-Tawi on 1998; * Kidnapping of American priest, Fr. Clarence Bertelsman in Jolo, Sulu on 1997 and three Spanish nuns, also in Jolo on 1993; * Mastermind in the killing of a certain Marine Cpl. Magtiza and kidnapping of Edwin Endoso in Jolo, Sulu; * The unsuccessful raid last May 21 Pearl Farm in the Garden City of Samal, Davao City; and * Kidnapping of 20 people, including three Americans last May 27 from Dos Palmas beach resort in Palawan. Global was also believe to be the brain of Ipil raid in 1995 where 57 people were killed, scores wounded, ransack banks and burned down the town's commercial district. Servando said the military has received report that Global was in General Santos to get the firearms he entrusted to a friend and at the same time to search for another possible kidnapping target. Although Global and his three companions were captured Friday night, their identities were established Sunday afternoon following tactical interrogations. "Intelligence operations will always take time. We have to develop the case, develop the situation and the culmination of the operations will be the arrest and apprehension of the suspect," Servando said. Global was the third top bandit leader captured by the military here in Mindanao. The first was bandit intelligence officer Mullo Abdullah alias Boy Iran and second, supply officer Jose Wong alias Mustafa Amil. Servando said Commander Global was placed under tactical interrogation and will be turned over to the court to face charges for various crimes he is involve. Meanwhile, Zamboanga City Police Chief of Intelligence, Chief Inspector Jose Bayani Gucela disclosed that their operation to catch Janjalani in the villages of Sinunuc and Ayala in this city yielded negative result. The intelligence operation was launched following reports that Janjalani together with seven followers and a pregnant woman has landed Friday night in Sinunuc and proceeded to nearby Barangay Ayala. "They were very highly mobile. Possibly they had returned to Basilan," Gucela said citing the bandits can easily travel from one place to the other as they were equipped with 200-horse power speedboat. However, he said surveillance and monitoring continue although the bandits are no longer within the area of operations of the Zamboanga City Police Office. Low profile intellectual behind Abu Sayyaf Group: Commander Global By Noralyn Mustafa Inquirer News Service JOLO, Sulu --- Nadzmie Saabdulla alias Commander Global, the first of the Abu Sayyaf leaders to fall into the hands of the law, commands respect not only among his peers but foreign journalists as well. This was clearly shown in a video, shown on local television of an abduction of 10 foreign journalists during last year’s Sipadan hostage crisis. Although the hostages, mostly European television crew and reporters, were released after 12 hours with the payment of $25,000 in ransom, the footage taken by an Australian cameraman preserved on film their experience from beginning to end. More importantly, it vividly demonstrated the leadership dynamics within the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf. The video initially showed Galib Andang alias Commander Robot talking with a German TV reporter. The two appeared like old friends, smiling and laughing, as if sharing jokes. Then one noticed some movement in the background, as other foreign journalists appeared to be walking in single file, apparently obeying inaudible orders spoken by an unseen person. The camera panned to Robot and the German. Robot was holding the arm of the foreigner, as if holding him back, but the other seemed to be insisting that he wanted to join the rest. The expression on Robot’s face turned serious. He whispered something to the German, but the latter pointed to himself and then to a direction off-camera, obviously where his colleagues were. Then a voice was clearly heard shouting in Tausug: “Why? Let him come, let him come right now.” Andang reluctantly let go of the German’s arm, and, looking relieved, the journalist eagerly went off to join the tail end of the line disappearing into the jungle, straight into captivity. The voice that Robot was compelled to obey belonged to Global. The soft-spoken Global maintained a low profile. Knowledgeable in Islam and a wide reader, he is the acknowledged “intellectual” among the Abu Sayyaf leaders, impressing even foreign journalists with his articulateness and seeming sincerity in pursuing his “cause.” "Impassioned” was how a French radio correspondent described Global’s explanation of his ideology: Only governance based on the Shari’ah, and a return to the strict moral precepts of Islam, would be workable for the Muslims. His credibility among the Abu Sayyaf followers is apparently based on the simple fact that he lived what he preached. He adhered to a spartan lifestyle and spent his days according to a rigid program of prayers, reflection and reading. It is said that among the known Abu Sayyaf leaders, he is the only one who completed a college education, earning a degree in criminology from the Zamboanga A.E. Colleges. In the TV footage of the press conference yesterday during which the military presented Global to the media, a close-up showed a round scar on his left hand, the stamp of membership in the Beta Sigma fraternity at the University of the Philippines. Among his “brods” are former Flagship Projects Secretary Robert Aventajado and retired Gen. Guillermo Ruiz, both of whom figured prominently in the negotiations for the release of the Sipadan hostages. During that months-long hostage crisis, Global and fellow Indanan native Abu Pula Jumdail fortified themselves in Samak in Talipao, near Bandang, Robot’s territory. But it was Robot or his emissaries who made the trips to Samak, and not the other way around, for no major decision was made without Global’s concurrence. Abu Sayyaf followers related that whenever the leaders discussed certain issues, Global would sit quietly listening, and usually spoke only after everyone had exhausted his point. When he did speak up, everyone listened, and almost always agreed with him. It was Global who composed statements to the media and letters to the negotiators, which were usually hand-written in a neat old-fashioned script. The language was elegant, sometimes stilted, but always revealing an educated writer. In yesterday’s TV footage, Global was almost unrecognizable as he stood behind the row of ranking militar officers. He was handcuffed, bareheaded and wearing a striped polo shirt. As strange as the handcuffs was the attire, Global’s usual garb being the Arabian juba, a long-sleeved shirt and an Afghan rebel’s cap. Only the sparse goatee remained. One wondered why he did not become a police officer instead, given his qualifications. Or maybe a local political leader, so he could help bring about the social reforms he envisioned. If such questions about Global and other potential Muslim leaders can be answered, then perhaps we can begin to find answers to why the Abu Sayyaf came to be, and why it continues to exist. Military, police fight over Abu bounty, credit: report By INQ7.net THE MILITARY and the police are reportedly fighting over an P8 million cash reward following Sunday’s arrest of an Abu Sayyaf leader and his three companions. A radio report also quoted police officials as accusing the military of “credit grabbing” after Armed Forces operatives allegedly tried to collect the reward money, which consisted of P5 million for the arrest of bandit leader Nadjmi Sabdula alias Comander Global, and P1 million for each of his fellow rebels. Earlier, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan from Manila announced the arrest of Sabdula and his comrades in General Santos City. Later reports quoted police officials in General Santos as saying that they were the ones who raided the Abu Sayyaf safehouse in the southern port city. The police reportedly claimed the cash reward should go to its four operatives who were responsible for the arrest. But Philippine National Police chief chief Gen. Leandro Mendoza said the reward should go to the civilian informants, and not to any of the government operatives. Mendoza, in a separate interview, said one of the bounty requirements is that the claimants should not be part of the government. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had offered a multi-million cash incentive to civilians who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the Abu Sayyaf Group, who had kidnapped Filipino and American guests and staff at a Palawan resort last May 27. Army general chasing Abu sacked amid complaints Inquirer News Service/Agence France-Presse ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The general heading military forces battling Abu Sayyaf kidnappers in the south was replaced Saturday (July 7) amid growing complaints over the military's failure to rescue the hostages. Brig. Gen. Romeo Dominguez would be reassigned to head Army forces in Samar province, military spokesperson Maj. Alberto Gepilano said. His successor, Brig. Gen. Glicerio Sua, would take over as head of the First Infantry Division in charge of military forces in western Mindanao. Sua’s area of jurisdiction covers the southernmost island groups of Basilan and Sulu, two haunts of the Abu Sayyaf, the self-styled Islamic separatists holding 19 Filipinos and two Americans hostage in Basilan. Last week, Sua replaced Dominguez as head of “Task Force Comet,” a special group hunting the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan. Gepilano remarked that Sua’s assumption to the post would be a morale booster for the troops. Sua previously headed a military operation that overran an Abu Sayyaf camp last year during a similar hostage crisis involving schoolchildren and teachers. The Armed Forces’ reputation has taken a beating since the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan seized 17 Filipinos and three Americans from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan on May 27. They repeatedly eluded military pursuit and have killed four Filipino hostages and claim to have beheaded one of the Americans, Guillermo Sobero. Although the Abu Sayyaf has released some of their hostages, reportedly in exchange for large ransom payments, they also seized more captives and now hold 21 hostages, including American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham. About 5,000 troops are combing the forested, hilly terrain of Basilan for the kidnappers but have had little success. Although President Macapagal-Arroyo has defended the military’s efforts, she has not let her loyalty cloud her ambitions to crush the group. A colonel whose forces missed a crucial opportunity to surround the group on June 2 was subsequently replaced. In the main Sulu island of Jolo, another haunt of the Abu Sayyaf, Marines captured three suspected Abu Sayyaf members and seized five rifles and a cache of ammunition on Friday, the military said. The three were arrested after a tip from local residents. Abu Sayyaf goes hi-tech By Alexander M. Young ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Message received: "P5M 4 1 hostge.drp $ 2nyt @ hotl loby--ASG." Just like the supporters of Edsa II, the Abu Sayyaf bandits have gone hi-tech. They have found lucrative use of cellular phones and the Internet. By simply punching a keypad, Abu Sayyaf emissaries could easily bid the price tag of each hostage, with the use of text messaging and e-mail. Emissaries of the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Basilan no longer need to set covert rendezvous, or personally meet with the go-betweens of the relatives of hostages being held in the hinterlands of Basilan as they utilize other means of doing their clandestine negotiations, according to Southern Command spokesperson Col. Danilo Servando. "They’re hi-tech. This is how contacts are made between supposed negotiators," Servando said. Even the transfer of money could be done the electronic way. But with this statement, isn’t Servando acknowledging that ransom had indeed been paid by the released hostages? He reminded the "go-betweeners’’ that the government is strict about its "no-ransom’’ policy. But it would appear that if the hostages are safely released, the military wouldn’t really mind. Aside from utilizing satellite telephones to contact relatives and negotiators, the Abu Sayyaf also text the panicky relatives of their victims in Manila who may be moving heaven and hell to meet the bandits’ demand. "We have received reports that they use cell phones, text messaging for contact," Servando said. The emissaries are determined to strike a deal that they chat with and e-mail their counterparts even at local Internet cafés, said another source. However, just like in the movies, there are secret meetings of go-betweens and negotiators to clinch deals at darkened corners of local hotel lobbies here. This is where ransom money had been known to change hands. Sources said that negotiations for the release of hostages Kimberly Jao and Francis Ganzon were closed in one of the hotels in this city. Radio reports also said that the two hostages were handed over to a Malacañang aide in one of the local hotels, after being escorted to Zamboanga by Abu Sayyaf sympathizers. "We have received some raw reports,’’ Task Force Zamboanga chief Col. Alexander Yano earlier admitted. So, he ordered troops deployed near hotels and coffee shops. NOTE: Click on photos to view larger size  'I WAS IN IPIL' SHIRT. This self-portrait was taken in my room at the New World Hotel in Manila when I visited the Philippines in 1996. The shirt I was wearing shows a town in flames with the words: "I WAS IN IPIL." Ipil was attacked by 200 heavily-armed men on April 4, 1995. At the time, the military blamed an unknown group called Abu Sayyaf for the attack. But many observers believe the attack was orchestrated by the Philippine military to divert the nation's attention and anger at the Ramos Administration for the March 15, 1995 hanging of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion in Singapore. By the way, the shirts were distributed by the military to journalists who covered the carnage in Ipil. Photo by JOHN L. SHINN III / LAZT ABU SAYYAF: A CREATION OF THE MILITARY. A survivor of the attack in Ipil (seated, center) was presented to the media in Zamboanga City a few days after the looting and burning of the thriving town in Zamboanga del Sur. At far right is Gen. Edgardo Batenga, Southern Command chief. Three years later, a retired Gen. Batenga told reporters in Davao City that the Abu Sayyaf was the creation of the military. Photo by JOHN L. SHINN III / LAZTVIEW PHOTOS OF THE CARNAGE IN IPIL click here  Abu Sayyaf: Bandits or Rebels? Abu Sayyaf leaders Khaddafi Janjalani, second from left, and Radulan Sahiron, third from left, sit with fellow Abu Sayyaf rebels inside their jungle hideout in the Sulu province of the southern Philippines July 16, 2000. Though Abu Sayyaf leaders say that they are fighting for a Muslim homeland, many consider them to be mere bandits in a fight only for the money. AP Photo  From: MajoMortensen@rocketmail.com (Jose Mortensen) To: Johnshinn3@LAZamboangaTTimes.ccom Date: 6/27/2001 6:04:44 AM Subj: Hi Hi John, It gives me such a heavy heart to hear about the troubles in Basilan. Especially when they killed the 2 workers from the plantation. I am also an Alano and even if I am all the way here in the US, I am still touched at the attack on Golden Harvest. I was wondering if you had more information on the families of the two men who were murdered. I would like to send them a letter and some help. As for the ASG. Enough said! Majo P.S. --- Maybe, if the Moslems can not live in peace with the rest of the country give them Jolo and tell every Moslem in the Philippines to go to Jolo and stay there. Unfortunately I also have Moslem friends, but something has to be done. And their sacrifice of relocating to Jolo will prove themselves. I would do the same thing if I was them. Then after they have all gone to Jolo, I am sure that there will be terrorism by Filipinos in that island, then they will get a taste of their own medicine. I dont think this problem is ever going to go away. And it should be stopped before it gets any bigger. Look what happened to Israel. If they totally had relocated the Palestinians to another land, they would not have the problems they are having now. Look at Afghanistan and the Taliban! Point is, it is a sad knowledge that Moslems can not mix themselves with other people. EDITOR'S NOTE: In February 1981, at the age of 10, Majo was kidnapped at the Murga family beach house in Zamboanga City by Muslim bandits from Basilan. Click here to read his personal account of that ordeal. CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO L.A. ZAMBOANGA TIMES MAIN PAGE Copyright 2002 | L.A. Zamboanga Times |
Photos by VICTORIA CALAGUIAN Editor's Note: On the morning of April 4, 1995, more than 200 heavily-armed men wearing fatigue uniforms attacked with military precision the thriving town of Ipil in Zamboanga del Sur in a bloody rampage that left 44 people dead, mostly civilians including the town's chief of police. More than half a billion pesos were looted from the town's eight commercial banks. Victoria Calaguian (left) was the first photojournalist to visit Ipil after the bloody attack that fateful day. She was a staffmember of TODAY, a daily newspaper based in Manila, on assignment in Zamboanga City the day of the attack. Very early the next day, she talked her way into hitching a ride in a military helicopter carrying ranking military officials on their way to check the damage in Ipil. Below are some of the pictures she took the day after the attack. Victoria now works as a staff photographer of Gulf News---one of the largest newspaper in the Middle East---based in the United Arab Emirates. Below is a short note we received from Victoria---at the time of the incident she was a mother of Vicoy, a three-year-old boy---and this was what she had to say about her feelings about her coverage of the killings, burning and looting of Ipil: "Here are images of the children I caught with my camera while covering the carnage in Ipil and the military pursuit operations across Zamboanga. They [the children's images] haunt me knowing that they are trapped in the midst of a conflict and all I could do was shoot their pictures. But I was hoping that if I can have their innocent faces printed on the newspaper for all to see, we will realize how they suffer and give end to it. Now, I'm still waiting for that realization. And until I see them suffering, I'll keep shooting. I wish everyone will know that there is no better teacher [about the horrors of war] than the look in the eyes of these children." VICTORIA CALAGUIAN May 5, 1995 To read Victoria's article about the raid click here Death |
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