PHILIPPINE POLICE DIRECTOR GENERAL CHALLENGE ABU SAYYAF
By Joel San Juan and Marian
Trinidad
MALACANANG yesterday rejected the offer of
some local leaders to help in the negotiations for the release of the mostly foreign
hostages held by Abu Sayyaf terrorists in their forest lair in Patikul, Sulu.
At the same time, Executive Secretary
Ronaldo Zamora told a radio interview that the government has not cordoned off the areas
leading to the terrorists’ lair, thus enabling “do-gooders” like born again
evangelist Wilde Almeda and his l2 “prayer warriors” to enter the Abu Sayyaf
camp.
This developed as Philippine National Police
(PNP) Director General Panfilo Lacson challenged the Abu Sayyaf to make good their
reported plan to fan out to key cities nationwide to abduct foreign and local journalists
as well as businessmen.
While downplaying the terrorists’
capability to go on a kidnapping spree, Lacson nevertheless issued this challenge:
“Let them try it here (Metro Manila) and we will show them how we will deal with
them.”
The PNP chief also said that last
Monday’s bombing attempt on a Makati City commercial bank was part of the
secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) grand plan to extend the Mindanao
war to key towns and cities nationwide, including Metro Manila.
MILF cells
In a press conference in Camp Crame, Lacson
confirmed the presence of seven more cells of the MILF Special Operations Group (MILF-SOG)
in the metropolis to conduct terror missions, like bombings.
Two of these MILF cells, he said, were
already neutralized during the May 27 lightning raid on the predominantly Muslim Maharlika
Village in Taguig where 26 suspected bombers had been arrested and charged.
In Malacañang Zamora admitted that the
military has not cordoned off the areas leading to the Abu Sayyaf lair to avoid a
confrontation.
He said: “The problem is you don’t
have them confined in one area. Basically, they have been moving around in a very large
area. If you recall, when the Armed Forces cordoned off the area, the Abu Sayyaf
complained and said that this was threatening the safety of the hostages.
“So what the Armed Forces did was to
withdraw to a specific location. In short, wala nang cordon around that area. That’s
why anybody who wants to can really get to the camp if they have a guide.”
Zamora said even if the group of Almeda
would eventually be held hostage by the terrorists, the government would still not cordon
off the lair to prevent confrontation between the Abu Sayyaf and the soldiers.
“First of all, many are saying that at
the delicate stage of the negotiations, the last thing you want is the military
confrontation,” Zamora said.
Negotiations
Meanwhile, Malacañang turned down the offer
of some local leaders to help in the negotiations for the release of the hostages as well
as the Abu Sayyaf demand for the inclusion of Sen. Ramon Magsaysay, a sultan of Sulu and
Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Romulo Espaldon in the negotiations for the release
of the hostages. Zamora
said this would only complicate the situation as the negotiations are now entering a
delicate stage.
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