10 more Abu men slain; other hostages missing
By Manny B. Marinay, Joel San Juan and Charmaine Deogracias
ARMY troops
followed up on their successful recovery of 12 Filipino evangelists Monday by killing 10
extremist guerrillas of the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Talipao, Jolo yesterday.
President
Estrada also rode on the successful operation by calling for a stepped up assault,
expressing optimism at the safe recovery of five remaining captives.
But as the Armed
Forces offensive on the predominantly Muslim island entered its 18th day, concern mounted
over the fate of the lone remaining Sipadan hostage, three new Malaysian captives from
Pandanan island and an American Muslim convert whose real persona remains murky.
Foreign Affairs
Secretary Domingo Siazon said the AFP has assured Malaysia it is concentrating on rescuing
the Southeast Asian country’s nationals.
He related the
statements to Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar who called up for the latest
news on the Pandanan hostages, who were seized last Sept. 10.
Siazon quoted AFP
Chief of Staff, Gen. Angelo Reyes, as saying Filipino diver Roland Ullah, Malaysians Kim
Wee Cheoung, Joseph Dioquino and Mohammad Nur Solayman; and American Jeffrey Craig Edward
Schilling were with Abu Sabaya and Khaddafy Janjalani, the veteran Abu Sayyaf warriors who
had given troops a hard time in an earlier hostage crisis in Basilan.
Reyes admitted
there had been no sighting of Sabaya’s group, Siazon said.
Task Force Trident
chief, Brig. Gen. Narciso Abaya, admitted at a Malacañang press conference that some
guerrillas had escaped the AFP cordon.
“We are
conducting operations but, lately, we’ve had less and less leads as to where the
hostages are,” Abaya said.
Intensify
assault
Last week,
diplomatic sources said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents had intercepted a
satellite call by Schilling to his Oakland, California-based mother, Carol, indicating the
hostage was still in Jolo island.
Previous to this
report, Sabaya had gloated over national radio about penetrating the military land and
naval blockade.
Abaya said the
group of Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot and Mujib Susukan is still in Jolo.
He was less sure
about Sabaya.
The AFP had
earlier known Schilling’s location, the officer said. But after a series of
operations, Sabaya’s group snaked farther to Luok and Pamanawe, in Sulu.
“And from
there, our informations say, they are still around. But there is less contact, less
observation on this group,” Abaya noted.
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