Robot wins kidnap 'auction' and custody of
three Malaysians
By Manny B. Marinay and Charmaine Deogracias
GHALIB Andang
alias Commander Robot and Mujib Susukan have won custody of the three Malaysians seized
Sunday from Pandanan island, Sabah, after Abu Sayyaf hostage-takers put up the foreigners
for bidding.
Sulu Gov.
Abdusakur Tan said a rival faction led by Abu Sabaya had wanted the Malaysians to beef up
their human shield against a possible military attack, but eventually lost the bidding
war.
Tan did not say
how much Andang’s group paid commander Iting Agga for the hostages—Pasir Dive
Resort manager Mohammad Nur Soliman, contractor Kenwi Wee Chong, and dive master Joe
Joseph Onkinah.
Agga is a cousin
of Susukan but reportedly heads his own small, independent faction. He took over the
hostages from Commander Landasan Umar, who participated in the Pandanan operation believed
to be a joint effort between Philippine and Malaysian Islamic extremist groups.
Civil Relations
chief Col. Jaime Canatoy said Agga and Umar had earlier balked at Andang’s offer.
Tan, however, said
the two relented after hearing an even lower offer from Sabaya, who holds American Jeffrey
Craig Edward Schilling.
Malaysian
allies
Tan said Tuesday
evening that Agga and Umar had tapped their cohorts in Malaysia to carry out the
kidnapping and deliver the captives to them.
“Based on the
reports we’re getting from the ground, (the three Malaysians are held by) an Abu
Sayyaf group in Talipao, which means the group of Mujib Susukan and Robot. They will
always deny, but later on we’ll know,” Tan said in an interview during the
celebration of the Libyan National Day in Makati City Tuesday evening.
Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Nur Misuari also confirmed the Abu Sayyaf’s Malaysian
links.
The Jolo-based
rebels, he said, have been frequently visiting allies in Sabah these past years. This
connection has made them also into some sort of overlords in several of the islands, he
added.
“They (ASG)
are blind to borders, they used to stay in these places, they don’t know whether that
island still belongs to them or not,” the chairman of the MNLF noted.
“I don’t
know how familiar they are with the border situation. Besides, kidnappers don’t
recognize international law, they don’t recognize international borders either. They
only recognize the color of dollar,” Misuari said.
Lure of money
The ex-rebel
slammed the government’s handling of the hostage crisis, saying turning a blind eye
to the $15-million ransom has encouraged youth in impoverished Mindanao regions to
take up arms.
“I don’t
want to get embroiled in this anymore,” Misuari said in response to reports of an
impending military assault on the extremist rebels. “I want my people to be kept in
peace. I want government to ensure my people will not be touched.”
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