StevenWarRan Research: May 27, 2001: Dos Palmas

May 27, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Malaysia on high alert for kidnappers,
Posted: 10:48 PM (Manila Time)

MALAYSIAN security forces in the eastern state of Sabah have been placed on high alert to prevent a group of Filipino kidnappers holding 20 hostages from slipping into the country.

The Bernama news agency quoted a spokesperson of the Malaysian Navy as saying it had been informed early Sunday about the raid on the Dos Palmas resort off Palawan.

“We have been told about it and we have put our men on full alert . . . they are now on the ground,” he said without elaborating.

Palawan is about two hours’ boat ride from Kudat on the northern tip of the Malaysian state of Sabah where more than half a million Filipinos live. Many of them are illegal immigrants from Mindanao.

Sunday’s dawn attack on the Dos Palmas resort off Palawan island was believed staged by the notorious Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, who struck twice in Malaysia last year.

They fled with the 20 tourists and resort workers in a speedboat that was later found abandoned.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the kidnappers and their hostages had been spotted near Bugsuk Island off Palawan’s southern tip.

“We are not 100-percent positive, but it is very, very likely," Golez said.

"Right now they are very close to the Malaysian boundary and the government is now coordinating with Malaysia authorities as we have a joint border crossing agreement," Golez said on local television.

The joint border patrol agreement is aimed at curbing smuggling, drug trafficking and piracy in the Celebes and Sulu Seas.

Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Arshad Hussain said that Malaysia would "definitely tighten up its maritime borders" to prevent the entry of “undesirable elements.”

"If the Philippines has alerted us, we'll surely cooperate," he said.

But Hussain stressed: "Malaysia is no safe haven for criminals and kidnappers."

On April 23 last year, Abu Sayyaf gunmen raided the Malaysian diving resort of Sipadan, off the Sabah coast, and fled to their Jolo island stronghold with 10 Western tourists and 11 resort workers.

On Sept. 10 they raided Pandanan island near Sipadan and seized three Malaysians.

All but one of the Sipadan and Pandanan hostages either escaped or were freed, some of them after the payment of millions of dollars in ransom to the bandits.

Malaysia has mounted a huge land, air and sea security operation on resort islands and in waters off Sabah since last year's abductions.

It plans shortly to introduce designated sea lanes off the state to make it easier to check suspicious craft.

US checking reports

For its part, the US Embassy said it was leaving it to the Philippine government "to secure the release of all the victims."

Tom Skipper, embassy spokesperson, said the embassy was still checking with the US state department whether three of those abducted were indeed US citizens.

Americans traveling to the Philippines were advised to check with the US Embassy for the latest security information.

Heightened security at the Dos Palmas resort, however, failed to stop the attack.

After a raid on the Pearl Farm resort in Davao last week, security at the Dos Palmas resort was more than doubled, the resort's spokesman Allan Padian said.

The gunmen met no resistance Sunday when they raided beachfront cottages at Dos Palmas and even took one of the guard's M-16 assault rifles, Padian admitted.

Padian said a ban on the carrying of firearms was imposed ahead of the May 14 elections and prevented the hotel from issuing more guns to their guards. Reports from Inquirer wires and Rocky Nazareno

May 27, 2001,INQ7 / AFP, Protestant missionary couple among the Americans abducted,
Posted: 2:47 PM (Manila Time)

THREE Americans, including a Protestant missionary couple, were among 20 people abducted from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan early Sunday, the military said.

Unknown gunmen raided the resort in the islet of Arriceffi off Palawan island at dawn and seized 16 hotel guests and four Filipino resort staff, military officials said.

The armed forces released a list of the victims including three people it described as "Americans" -- Martin Burnham, Gracia Burnham, and Guillermo Sobero.

Military intelligence sources had earlier said Sobero was a Spaniard.

But a Spanish source in Manila ruled out the involvement of that country's nationals. Sobero listed a US address when he arrived in the Philippines three days ago, immigration sources said.

Dos Palmas staff said Sobero was visiting the resort for the second time and had identified himself as an American.

The Burnhams are missionaries from a sect called the New Tribes Mission, resort officials said.

US embassy spokesmen here could not be reached for comment.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net with AFP, RP seeks Malaysian navy help to nab hostage takers
Posted: 2:29 PM (Manila Time)

THE PHILIPPINES sought the help of the Malaysian navy on Sunday to track down suspected Muslim rebels who kidnapped 20 people off the western island of Palawan early Sunday.

"Right now they are very close to the Malaysian boundary and the government is now in coordination with the Malaysia authorities as we have a joint border crossing agreement," National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said on local television.

Golez said the gunmen were said by the military to have been spotted near Bugsuk island off Palawan's southern tip. Palawan is just minutes away by boat from the northern tip of Malaysia's Sabah state in Borneo.

"We are not 100 percent positive but it is very, very likely," he said, when asked about reports that the military had spotted the boat carrying the armed group and the hostages.

Malaysian ambassador to the Philippines Arshad Hussain told AFP that Malaysia would "definitely tighten up our maritime borders" to prevent the entry of "undesirable elements".

"If the Philippines has alerted us, we'll surely cooperate," he said.

But Hussain stressed: "Malaysia is no safe haven for criminals and kidnappers."

He said that there were already specific sea lanes that needed to be used to enter waters off Sabah.

The Filipino Muslim rebel group Abu Sayyaf abducted more than a dozen mostly foreign hostages from a resort off Sabah in April last year and brought them to the Philippines. Most of them were released after large ransoms were reportedly paid.

More than half a million Filipinos live in the Malaysian state of Sabah, many of them illegal immigrants from the Muslim areas of the southern Philippines.

Manila and Kuala Lumpur have a joint border patrol agreement aimed at curbing smuggling, drug trafficking and piracy in the Celebes and Sulu Seas.

May 27, 2001, AFP, Chronology of Abu Sayyaf kidnappings, Posted: 2:25 PM (Manila Time)

THE following is a chronology of attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrilla group:

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 resort workers.

May 27, 2000: Kidnappers issue political demands including a separate Muslim state, an inquiry into alleged human rights abuses in Malaysian Sabah and the restoration of fishing rights. They later demand cash ransoms worth millions of dollars.

July 1, 2000: A Filipino television evangelist and 12 followers are captured during a visit to the hostages. A German journalist is seized the following day.

July 9, 2000: A three-member French television crew was abducted.

Aug 27, 2000: French, South African and German hostages are freed.

Aug 28, 2000: American Jeffrey Schilling is abducted.

Sept 9, 2000: Finnish, German and French hostages are freed.

Sept 10, 2000: The Abu Sayyaf raids Pandanan island near Sipadan and seizes three Malaysians.

Sept 16, 2000: President Joseph Estrada launches military assault against Abu Sayyaf in Jolo. Two kidnapped French journalists escape during the fighting.

Oct 2, 2000: The military rescues 12 Filipino Christian preachers.

Oct 25, 2000: Troops rescue three Malaysians seized in Pandanan.

Jan 20, 2001: Estrada toppled in popular uprising, Vice-President Gloria Arroyo installed in his place.

April 12, 2001: US hostage Schilling is rescued, leaving a Filipino scuba diving instructor in the gunmen's hands.

May 22, 2001: Suspected Abu Sayyaf guerrillas raid the luxurious Pearl Farm beach resort on Samal island in the southern Philippines, killing two resort workers wounding three others, but no hostages are taken.

May 28, 2001: Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen raid the Dos Palmas resort off the western Philippines island of Palawan and seize 20 hostages including a US couple and a Spaniard. Arroyo rules out ransom and orders the military to go after the kidnappers.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net with AFP, President’s husband blames Abu Sayyaf for resort raid, Posted: 2:22 PM (Manila Time)

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s husband Sunday blamed Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas for the abduction of 20 people, including three foreigners, from a resort in Palawan.

"The people are angry at you, Abu Sayyaf. What you are doing is causing the entire country harm. What tourist in his right mind will come to the Philippines now?" presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo said in his weekly radio talk show.

"You must be mad for fighting your fellow Filipinos. Perhaps you are not Filipinos, you bunch of crazies," he said in Filipino.

"Gloria and the entire nation are united. Gloria will crush you," he added.

Military and police officials said they are not ruling out the involvement of the Abu Sayyaf in the raid on the Dos Palmas resort off the western Philippine island of Palawan.

A US couple and a Spaniard were taken captive along with 13 Filipino guests and two hotel staff.

The Abu Sayyaf, a small group of self-styled Islamic independence fighters gained international notoriety in April last year when they raided a Malaysian resort and took 21 foreign and local hostages.

They were held in the southern Philippine island of Jolo, about 480 kilometers (298 miles) to the south of the Dos Palmas resort across the Sulu Sea.

The Abu Sayyaf released many of their captives in exchange for hefty ransoms, while others were freed in a military assault.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net with AFP, Rebels abduct 20 from Palawan resort; military in pursuit, Posted: 2:14 PM (Manila Time)

PHILIPPINE authorities have sighted suspected Muslim gunmen who abducted 20 guests from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan early Sunday and the military is confident the victims will be rescued, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's spokesman said.

Macapagal dispatched armed forces chief General Diomedio Villanueva to the Palawan capital of Puerto Princesa to lead the rescue efforts, presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said.

"General Villanueva is in Puerto Princesa as we speak. He says that the kidnapping band has been sighted, and is very confident that the kidnappers could be encircled and hostages released," Tiglao said in a television news report.

An American couple and a Spaniard were among 20 people kidnapped by suspected Muslim rebels from the island resort, officials said.

Asked about reports that the raiders are members of the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic guerrilla group who went on a kidnapping spree in Malaysia last year, Tiglao said: "That is one report that we received. One report we received is that because of the (military) operation in Basilan or Sulu (island groups where the Abu Sayyaf operates), the Abu Sayyaf has broken up in so many splinter groups.

"But we don't have any strong confirmation as yet if these are Abu Sayyaf."

Tiglao did not say where the gunmen were seen, but radio reports said their speeboat was found on the shores of Bugsuk island, off Palawan's southern tip.

Tiglao stressed that the government would not negotiate with the gunmen.

"Our policy stands, there will be no negotiations for any kind of ransom."

Military intelligence sources named the foreign victims of the attack on the tiny resort of Araceffi off Palawan island as Americans Martin Burham and his wife Gracia, and Guillermo Zobero of Spain.

A navy patrol craft had been deployed off Araceffi to secure the other hotel guests, said the western Philippines military commander Rear Admiral Rodolfo Rabago.

Dos Palmas is the only upscale resort in Palawan and is about an hour's boat ride from the capital city of Puerto Princesa.

May 27, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Bandits abduct 20 in Palawan resort, by Jofelle P. Tesorio and Geraldford Ticke, Posted: 10:45 PM (Manila Time)

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.

The military immediately launched a massive search by air and sea. Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said the group apparently had been tracked down several hours after the raid.

President Macapagal-Arroyo condemned the kidnapping as a "dastardly criminal act of desperate, ruthless bandits." She gave assurance that the government would "do everything within its powers" to ensure the safety of the hostages.

She canceled her visit to Baguio City where she was to act as principal sponsor at the wedding of actor Aga Muhlach and actress Charlene Gonzales today.

Dos Palmas, the only high-end resort at Honda Bay in Palawan, is 600 kilometers southwest of Manila. It is an hour by boat from Puerto Princesa.

Wearing bonnets and armed with a machinegun and assault rifles, the intruders docked at the receiving area of the resort around 5 a.m.

They were on board a big kumpit (speedboat) with three engines, the resort’s security officer, Lt. Rudy Gorgonio, said.

After holding two guards at gunpoint, Gorgonio said the raiders immediately proceeded to the nine cottages near the receiving area where tourists were sleeping.

They grabbed 17 guests, two security guards and one male kitchen staff member, he said.

"It all happened very quickly. Everyone was stunned and no once could talk . . . It was all over in 15 to 20 minutes," Gorgonio said.

Dos Palmas officials said there were about 100 tourists at the resort.

The military’s Western Command said three of those abducted were Americans and the rest were Filipinos, including an 8-year-old boy.

The Americans were identified as Martin Burnham, 41, and his wife Gracia, missionaries from Wichita, Kansas; and Guillermo Robero, 39.

The Burnhams have lived in the Philippines since 1986 and have been working for the New Tribes Mission, Tim Grossman, who was at the organization’s Manila office yesterday, told the Associated Press. They flew to the resort Saturday and listed their address as 333 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.

According to the AP report, Martin has spent most of his life in the Philippines. He and his wife--both children of missionaries--had been living in Nueva Vizcaya.

Robero, believed to be of Spanish descent, placed his address at 4045 Moody St., Corona, USA. He was with a Filipina, identified as Maria Fe Rosadeno, a native of Dagomboy Village here and reportedly Guillermo’s girlfriend.

The boy was identified as RJ Recio, of Suite 520 MBE, 105 Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. He was reportedly with Recio Luis Raul de Guzman, Angie Montealegre and Divine Montealegre.

One of the hostages was identified as Regis Romero, 41, of 136 Malakas St., Diliman, Quezon City. It was not immediately known if he is the same Romero who owns RII Builders Corp.

With Romero was Maria Riza Rodriguez Santos, 30, of Hemady Street, New Manila, Quezon City.

The other hostages were identified as Janice Ting Go, 30, of Philamlife Tower, Makati, and her companion, Luis Bautista III, 32, of Mandaluyong City; Francis and Teresa, both surnamed Ganzon, of Parañaque City; Lalaine Chua; Kimberly Jao; and Letty Jao.

Also abducted were the resort’s kitchen staff member Sandy Daquer and security guards, Armando Bayona and Eldrin Morales.

Military officials said planes and ships were deployed to search for the abductors and their captives in the high seas of Mindanao, many areas of which have been plagued by Moro separatists, pirates and other outlaws.

National Security Adviser J. Roilo Golez told a radio station that a motorboat believed carrying the kidnappers and hostages was spotted near Bugsuk Island on the southern tip of Palawan.

Capt. Djo Jalandoni of the Wescom said the raiders might be headed for Jolo Island, where the Abu Sayyaf is based.

Dos Palmas security officer Gorgonio said the gunmen spoke Tausug, the dialect spoken in Jolo.

Interrogations

Police interrogated two fishermen who had approached the receiving area before the armed men arrived at Dos Palmas. The fishermen, identified as Brando Cervantes, 20, and Alvic Cobillo, 20, said they were looking for some fishermen-friends.

It is not clear whether the fishermen, who were not presented to the media, were used as guides or were accomplices of the kidnappers.

Gorgonio said the security guard and the staff member were the ones who saw the incident. The attack lasted about 30 minutes and other guests did not learn of the presence of the armed men until news broke out in the morning.

Reports from the Puerto Princesa police said the armed men took with them some containers of gasoline and a handheld radio.

The kumpit reportedly sped off toward the northeast, although police officials said this might be a diversionary tactic and the boat could have changed course later.

A fisherman, who identified himself as Salvador Aton, told radio station rgMA here, that he saw a big gray kumpit around 6:15 a.m. coming from nearby Dos Palmas. It was heading southward, he said.

"I saw a kumpit which almost looked white as it sped. On board were bonnet-wearing men. It was going toward San Miguel, Tawi-Tawi," Aton said in Filipino.

The fisherman, who just came from tuna-fishing in the Malunao area, said he was familiar with the seas so he could not be mistaken about the direction where the boat was going.

Normal

Operations at Dos Palmas Resort have remained normal. Guests who have been booked could still get to the island, but walk-in arrangements are no longer being accommodated.

No demand for ransom has so far been relayed to the resort management.

All other tourist resorts in Palawan have been put on alert. Navy ships, as well as Air Force helicopters, had stepped up security around the island, the military said.

Allan Padian, spokesperson of Dos Palmas, said that after a similar raid on another resort island last week, security at the resort had been more than doubled before the kidnapping.

Padian said some panicky guests checked out and left the island under Coast Guard or Navy escort. But he stressed "we have pacified the fear of the guests," many of whom had chosen to remain.

Rescue operations

Gen. Diomedio Villanueva arrived here Sunday and immediately met with Gov. Joel Reyes, who also had a briefing with officers of the Wescom and the police.

"We are now scouring the shores of Palawan. It is an open sea and our aircraft and all available Navy vessels are scouring the area," Villanueva said.

Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Rabago, Wescom chief, said he had dispatched two Navy vessels and one S-211 aircraft to intercept the kidnappers and their victims.

Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta said a contingent from the Marines had been deployed to support interception and rescue operations.

"We will deal with this with caution and resolve," Mabanta told defense reporters. "The Philippine Army and the entire armed forces will not tolerate this."

It was the second attack by gunmen on a tourist resort in the country’s volatile south in five days.

Just before midnight on Tuesday, gunmen attacked the Pearl Farm, a tourist resort on the Island Garden City of Samal, killing two people and snatching two hostages, who were later released.

Troops are chasing the gang, which retreated to the mountains after snatching four villagers to use as human shields. With reports from Carlito Pablo and Inquirer wires

May 27, 2001, INQ7, Don't link Palawan abduction to Abu Sayyaf, Golez tells media, Posted: 6:57 PM (Manila Time)

NATIONAL Security Adviser Roilo Golez urges the media not to link the Palawan kidnapping to the Abu Sayyaf.

President Gloria Macapagal_Arroyo's husband, Mike Arroyo, however, blames the Abu Sayyaf.

3 Americans and 17 Filipinos, including an 8-year-old boy, were abducted in Dos Palmas resort by at least 20 armed men at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The armed men are all believed to be Moros.

Presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao reiterates the government policy of no negotiation and no ransom.

May 27, 2001, INQ7, Naval forces mobilized vs Palawan abductors,
Posted: 6:57 PM (Manila Time)

ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Diomedio Villanueva has been sent to Palawan.

The AFP Southern Command has mobilized its naval task forces in Mindanao to cordon off sealanes between Mindanao and Palawan. The military is anticipating the possibility of the armed men moving toward the Mindanao area.

The suspects' speedboat was sighted on the shores of Bugsuk island, off Palawan’s southern tip.

Malaysia has expressed its willingness to help in the rescue of the hostages.

May 27, 2001, INQ7, No clue yet to identity of Pearl Farm attackers, military chief admits, Posted: 6:57 PM (Manila Time)

FIVE days after the attack, Armed Forces of the Philippine Southern Command Chief Maj. Gen. Eduardo Camiling admits they still cannot explain the identity of the armed men. He said this the claims of a freed hostage that the armed men were Abu Sayyaf bandits.

May 27, 2001, AFP, Palawan abductors ransacked cottages, emptied refrigerators, Posted: 7:32 PM (Manila Time)

HOODED gunmen kicked down doors, rifled through closets and emptied refrigerators before taking off from a Philippine island resort with 20 hostages Sunday, police said.

Police investigators found doors apparently forced open, guest rooms in disarray, and open fridges after the dawn raid on the Dos Palmas resort on the tiny rock of Arreceffi off the western island of Palawan, Inspector Rodolfo Amurao said.

The 24 gunmen took off in the Sulu Sea in a powerful boat with 17 hotel guests, including three Americans, and three resort staff after a precision strike that lasted no more than 20 minutes.

The authorities said the boat sailed south, boosting speculation that the raiders were Abu Sayyaf guerrillas from the southern Philippine island of Jolo.

"Clothes were strewn around the rooms," Amurao said. But police could not give an inventory of the missing items because the hotel guests were also missing.

Amurao said it looked like the kidnappers also took food from the refrigerators.

Hotel staff said the upper-class resort was fully booked with about 100 guests, but Amurao said the gunmen apparently targeted the exclusive cottages built on stilts above the water where the higher paying guests were.

Seven of these cottages were raided but the beachfront suites were largely spared.

Police said the raiders were apparently unfamiliar with the Palawan waters. Three hours before the raid, they abducted two local fishermen at sea and forced them to serve as their guides toward Dos Palmas.

"They were aboard a green speedboat with three outboard motors. The men were in knit caps, all carried rifles, and they had a bigger gun on a tripod," said Brando Cervantes, one of the two fishermen who were left marooned on the island.

"They kept asking us where Dos Palmas is," he said in a deposition with the police. Cervantes said the gunmen also kept consulting a navigational map.

"They spoke with a (southern) Muslim accent. They told us they have to fetch their boss."

Many of the gunmen wore military fatigue-style uniforms while the others were clad in jackets, he said.

The gunmen arrived on the 20-hectare (49-acre) island at dawn and disarmed some of the private security guards.

Cervantes said about half the gunmen proceeded to the cottages, while the rest stood guard at their boat and the fishermen.

"After 30 minutes they returned with foreigners and some Filipinos, who they forced to board the speedboat," he said.

He said the two fishermen were told to stay behind.

"One of them hit the back of my head with a rifle butt before they let us off the boat."

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net, Joint Army, Navy, Air Force task force tracking kidnappers
Posted: 6:48 PM (Manila Time)

THE MILITARY has mobilized all its resources in the Palawan area in its pursuit operations against the suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels who kidnapped 20 people in a resort in Palawan, armed forces spokesman Gen. Edilberto Adan said.

A joint task force composed of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are now tracking the kidnappers whose getaway boat was found abandoned near the island of Batarasa.

The military personnel under the Western Command are under the operational supervision of the Chief of Staff General Diomedio Villlanueva, Adan said.

"There have been sightings on this terrorist kidnapping group that committed this dastardly act and we expect contact with them soon," Adan told reporters.

In the same press briefing, Adan said the Malaysian authorities have been notified and the Malaysian Navy has stepped up border patrol.

Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao appealed to the media to refrain from disclosing the backgrounds of the other Filipino hostages for security purposes.

"The AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are now in touch with the families of each of the hostage victims," he said.

Tiglao likewise confirmed an earlier report that one of the victims, Sobero, is not a Spanish national as earlier reported in the media. "From the records of the hotel, he is an American living in Corona town in the United States," Tiglao said.

He added that the United States Embassy in Manila has already been informed about the incident.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net, Gov't launches this week Muslim peace program,
Posted: 5:18 PM (Manila Time)

THE GOVERNMENT will implement this week its Muslim Peace and Goodwill Program, which aims to eradicate the root causes of the Muslim unrest and attain lasting peace in Mindanao.

According to a Palace statement, the program for which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo released P40 million last Tuesday, will be supervised and managed by the Office on Muslim Affairs. Its principal beneficiaries are war-affected families and communities and the depressed urban Muslim communities.

The program launch comes amid the back-to-back attacks on two tourist resorts in the country by suspected Muslim rebels and bandits. Early this morning, suspected Abu Sayyaf members kidnapped 20 people from the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan. The Pearl Farm Resort in Davao was also attacked recently by alleged Muslim bandits.

Malacañang said its program will not only assure land, houses and livelihood for the Muslims but also health care, skills training, legal assistance on a wide range of problems, and the preservation of the Muslim culture and heritage.

The entire program, which will be implemented for one year from June this year to July next year, consists of: land titling assistance for Muslim minorities; livelihood and agricultural support; Muslim shrine and cemetery development and funeral services; support to cultural practitioners; health services, and; legal services and assistance.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net, Full text Malacañang statement on the Palawan kidnapping,
Posted: 4:58 PM (Manila Time)

FULL text of the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Rigoberto D. Tiglao on the kidnapping of 20 guests and staff of the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan:

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo condemns this dastardly, criminal act of ruthless bandits.

Early this morning, after reporting on the incident, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Diomedio Villanueva was ordered by the President to personally supervise the pursuit operations against the bandits, and to ensure the rescue of the 20 hostages, three of whom are American nationals.

The military has deployed three Navy patrol boats, an S-211 aircraft, and two Huey helicopters to assist Philippine Marine companies and Philippine National Police units in pursuing the bandits. Gen. Villanueva is confident that the bandits will be tracked down and encircled soon.

President Macapagal-Arroyo assures the family of the hostages that the government will do everything within its powers to ensure the safe rescue of their loved ones."

May 27, 2001, AFP / INQ7.net, List of 20 hostages kidnapped from Dos Palmas resort,
Posted: 4:33 PM (Manila Time)

A list provided by the military of the 20 hostages kidnapped from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan early Sunday:

1. Martin Burnham, American man. Resort guest
2. Gracia Burnham, American woman. Resort guest
3. Guillermo Sobero, American man. Resort guest
4. Janice Ting, Filipino woman. Resort guest
5. Luis Bautista, Filipino man. Resort guest
6. Laline Chua, Filipino woman. Resort guest
7. Kimberly Jao, Filipino woman. Resort guest
8. Letty Jao, Filipino woman. Resort guest
9. Luis Raul Recio, Filipino man. Resort guest
10. Angie Montealegre, Filipino woman. Resort guest
11. Divine Montealegre, Filipino woman. Resort guest
12. RJ Recio, Filipino boy. Resort guest
13. Francis Ganzon, Filipino man. Resort guest
14. Teresa Ganzon, Filipino woman. Resort guest
15. Reghis Romeo, Filipino man. Resort guest
16. Maria Riza Rodriguez Santos, Filipino woman. Resort guest
17. Maria Fe Rosadeno, Filipino woman. Resort guest
18. Sonny Dacquero, Filipino man. Resort staff
19. Armando Bayona, Filipino man. Security guard
20. Eldren Morales, Filipino man. Security guard

May 27, 2001,INQ7.net, Philippines counts the costs of attacks on key tourist draws, by Cecil Morella
Posted: 4:10 PM (Manila Time)

THE PHILIPPINES braced Sunday for the economic fallout of two armed raids within a week on upscale beach resorts frequented by western tourists.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels attacked the Dos Palmas resort off the western island of Palawan early Sunday, taking three Americans and 17 others hostage in a swift operation.

Guerillas from the same notorious group are also suspected to be behind a raid on the Pearl Farm island resort off the southern city of Davao last Tuesday.

None of the tourist guests were harmed or seized in the attack last week but the gunmen killed two hotel staff, wounded three other locals and destroyed the wharf.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said he has received reports the Abu Sayyaf had broken up in small splinter groups after the armed forces launched a punitive operation against them in the southern island of Jolo last year following an earlier kidnapping spree.

"But we don't have any strong confirmation as yet if these are Abu Sayyaf," he said of the Dos Palmas raiders.

The Abu Sayyaf snatched 24 mostly foreigners from two Malaysian resorts near Borneo and brought them to Jolo in April last year.

Many of the hostages were ransomed off for millions of dollars while the others were rescued. One Filipino is still being held.

Armed forces chief of staff General Diomedio Villanueva said that after the high-profile hostage drama last year, "we now tend to blame the Abu Sayyaf" for every kidnapping that occurs.

He said the Philippines remained "by and large really safe," stressing that "these things can happen even in the United States or in other countries, even in Europe".

Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon told local television: "It does not really matter whether they are Abu Sayyaf. All that matters to me right now is that we try to keep the tourists safe and the military is undergoing a pursuit operation."

The government has been struggling to lure back foreign tourists driven off by the Abu Sayyaf's high-profile kidnapping last year.

Gordon said that following the Pearl Farm attack last week, resort operators have been advised "to take extra precautions", while police are reinforcing the security of tourist sites.

Gordon said last week that the 2.5 billion-dollar Philippine tourism industry was suffering from lower visitor arrivals.

He also said Macapagal followed the Pearl Farm situation keenly because "she knows about the speculative possibilities involved in this thing that could hurt not only tourism but our trade".

Tourist arrivals have also slowed down following political uncertainty late last year and early 2001.

Terrorist bombings hit Manila last December at the height of a political crisis stemming from former president Joseph Estrada's alleged involvement in corruption.

Estrada was toppled in a popular revolt in January and nearly four months later, deadly riots hit the streets outside the presidential palace on May 1, sparked by the deposed leader's arrest ahead of his graft trial next month.

The government spent 660,000 dollars on tourist promotion in 2000, when 1.8 million tourists visited the country.

The figures are dwarfed by the promotion budgets and visitor arrivals of neighboring Southeast Asian nations, tourism officials said.

"Anything can hurt tourism at the moment. But my point here is, we don't have to tell everybody that we are not in good shape here," Gordon said Sunday.

"We have 7,100 islands in this country. We don't have to advertise to the whole world that all 7,100 islands are not safe. There's two islands that have been affected by these abductions, and the quicker we are able to handle it, the better we'll be in the future."

May 27, 2001, AFP, Kidnappers’ boat found abandoned in Batarasa,
Posted: 3:51 PM (Manila Time)

THE ABANDONED boat of suspected Muslim gunmen who abducted 20 people off the western island of Palawan early Sunday has been found, the provincial governor said as pursuit of the kidnappers continued.

Palawan Governor Joel Reyes said that the large boat was found abandoned in Batarasa, a coastal town in the southern tip of Palawan but there was no immediate news on what happened to the kidnappers and their hostages.

Reyes said he was trying to get private helicopters to volunteer to help in tracking the kidnappers as the pursuing military aircraft were already running out of fuel.

Earlier, presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said that the kidnappers had been sighted and expressed confidence that the victims, including three Americans, would soon be rescued.

National security adviser Roilo Golez said that the boat being used by the kidnappers was overloaded and could not move very quickly.

Meanwhile, police in the Palawan capital of Puerto Princesa said that they had found two local fishermen who had been forced to direct the kidnappers to the resort in Palawan where the hostages were taken.

Police spokesman Superintendent Orlando Madela said that the two fishermen, whose identities were being withheld while in police custody, were seized by the kidnappers while fishing in a small boat off Palawan.

They were forced to direct the kidnappers to the Dos Palmas resort and were then set free but were warned not to tell the police or they would be killed.

However, after the kidnapping, when more police arrived at the scene, the fishermen went to them to report what happened, Madela said.

Spokesmen of Dos Palmas resort said their security guards had reported that the kidnappers were speaking the local dialect of the Muslims in Sulu and Basilan.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net, Gordon calls Palawan gunmen 'enemies of the world,' by JV Rufino,
Posted: 3:39 PM (Manila Time)

TOURISM Secretary Richard Gordon described the gunmen who abducted 20 people from a Palawan resort as "terrorists" and "enemies of the world" even as he downplayed its effect on the country’s tourism prospects.

"Of course it will have an effect but what kind of effect will depend on how we play it," Gordon told INQ7.net. The armed men early this morning swooped down on the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan and kidnapped 20 people including three Americans, Filipino guests and resort staff.

Gordon was on his way to Palawan, located in the western part of the Philippines, to personally see to the incident.

Only a few days ago, the tourism secretary had to deal with the tourism fallout from the attack on the Pearl Farm Resort in Davao. Officials said that the Pearl Farm attackers were probably just bandits who wanted to steal the resort’s high-powered pumpboats, but that the Palawan kidnappers appear to be members of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group.

Gordon said that he was appealing to residents in Palawan, Basilan, and Zamboanga to cooperate with authorities and to report any sightings of the armed group.

He also requested the media, both local and foreign, to report the events as plainly as possible. Gordon also reiterated earlier statements made by Malacañang that there would be no negotiations with the gunmen and that they are at this point considered as terrorists.

May 27, 2001, INQ7.net, Macapagal to skip Aga-Charlene wedding due to Palawan kidnap,
Posted: 3:25 PM (Manila Time)

PRESIDENT Macapagal will not attend the wedding of movie stars Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez in Baguio City tomorrow amid the kidnapping of about 20 people, including three Americans, in the posh Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.

Presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said that the President wanted to see personally to the military operations against the kidnappers, who earlier reports identified as members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

"This is an important matter and she wanted to personally see to the operations by the armed forces," Tiglao said.

He added that the President will just send a representative to the wedding, wherein she would have stood as one of the major sponsors.

May 26, 2001,Inquirer News Service, 6 die in Basilan capitol shootout,
Posted: 11:24 PM (Manila Time)

ISABELA CITY, Basilan--Six people, including an 8-year old girl, were killed while four others were wounded in a shootout involving policemen and soldiers near the capitol building here on Friday afternoon.

Isabela police chief Supt. Bensali Jabarani said armed men had attacked a soldier in a failed robbery attempt. In the ensuing shootout, the soldier, a Moro National Liberation Front integree assigned at the 18th Infantry Battalion, and two policemen who came to the rescue were killed.

Most of the civilians who were killed were passengers of a minicab that was caught in the crossfire.

"There's a big possibility that the armed men were targeting the firearm of the soldier," Jabarani said.

Police identified those killed as Haifa Salapuddin, 8, grandniece of Basilan Rep. Jerry Salapuddin; Esteban Gaan, 33, an employee of the Commission on Elections provincial office; Teng Sakam, a bystander; SPO1 Yusop Hussein, of the 909th Police Provincial Group (PMG); Pfc. Abdulasi Asamula, the MNLF integree; and PO1 Abdulhasan Ubara, also assigned with the 909th PMG.

Wounded were Randy Lim, Vilma Asmawil, Munira Hamsan and Jamil Amman, all employees at Salapuddin’s congressional office.

Jabarani said Asamula was walking on the road when unidentified armed men on a motorcycle fired at him. The MNLF integree then allegedly fired at his attackers, hitting another motorcycle and the minicab.

The minicab driver, Abdullah Jamil, said he earlier saw Asamula walking along the Aguada bridge "as if waiting for somebody to pass."

Jamil said Asamula than fired at Gaan, who was on a motorcycle.

He said Asamula also fired at his minicab, killing the young Salapuddin.

SPO1 Hussein immediately responded and shot Asamula. Another policeman, PO1 Ubura, also came to the rescue but was shot and killed.

Rep. Salapuddin asked the military and police to investigate the incident.

He declined to say if the incident was politically motivated or if it had anything to do with the ongoing vote canvassing at the provincial capitol. Jonathan F. Ma

May 26, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Bandits hijack Basilan ferry, hold 4 crewmen hostage,

Posted: 10:53 PM (Manila Time)

BASILAN -- Armed men who hijacked a ferry with 42 persons on board Thursday released all the passengers Friday but kept the four crewmen as hostages, the military reported.

The gang on five speedboats surrounded the ferry as it plied the small islands around Basilan province, said Col. Juvenal Narcise, area military commander.

He said the gang released the 38 passengers before midnight Friday but kept the captain and three crew members who were from nearby Tapiantana Island.

Basilan police chief Candido Casimiro said the pirates robbed the passengers, even taking their clothes and shoes, before bringing them to Patah island south of Basilan where they were released the following day.

Police said the abductors were likely members of the Abu Sayyaf, a small extremist insurgent group that claims to be fighting for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao.

Police believe the same gang had engaged a militia group from Tapiantana in a two-hour firefight on April 24, which resulted in the deaths of 19 persons. The military did not say how many were slain on each side.

Feuding

“The people who captured the boat owner apparently have some kind of feud going with Tapiantana residents,” Narcise said.

He said the military is searching the area for the hostages.

The abduction took place Thursday afternoon but was only reported late Friday because the captured boat, like most of the transport plying the local islands, had no radio or navigation equipment.

The latest incident came on the heels of last Tuesday’s assault on the exclusive Barcelo Pearl Farm on Samal Island in Davao del Sur by dozens of men armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers.

Security guards fought the attackers off but not before two resort workers were killed and three security guards wounded. The gunmen also took four hostages as they escaped.

Usual suspects

Investigators said they suspected Abu Sayyaf guerrillas in the attack.

Military pursuit of the gunmen resulted in the evacuation of residents from the hinterland villages around Malita, Davao del Sur, where the bandits are believed to be hiding.

Davao del Sur board member Alberto Baliota said the number of evacuees from Barangays Bito, Ticolon and Mana is rising with some 275 families known to have fled their homes.

Ali Bangsa Colina, another board member, said the number of evacuees may rise further after the fleeing bandits split into two groups.

One group was spotted in Sitio Pamungot, Barangay Talagotong in Don Marcelino Friday evening. The other was still in Malita as of yesterday morning, he said.

Colina said information reaching him indicated the second group later went to Talagotong while about half of the men remained at Mt. Cabal, the site of a clash Friday where two soldiers were killed and another was wounded.

Police said five bandits were killed in that clash.

Red tape

The evacuees, meantime, have started complaining about the slow arrival of relief goods.

Davao del Sur Gov. Rogelio Llanos on Friday ordered residents in the affected areas to leave their homes to give way to the military operations.

Colina said relief rations from the provincial government arrived late. He blamed bureaucratic red tape but said the local government of Malita had provided rice in limited volumes.

There are at least three evacuation centers in Malita, two of them in public elementary schools in Barangays Ticolon and Mana. Some of the evacuees are housed in the municipal gym in the town center.

As this developed, Island Garden City of Samal Mayor Rogelio Antalan urged police to provide civilian volunteers in his city’s 46 barangays with firearms.

Antalan said civilian volunteers failed to catch the Pearl Farm assailants for lack of weapons.

He said the suspects, before leaving for Malita, landed at Barangay Dadatan, some seven kilometers from Pearl Farm, and stayed there for five hours.

The armed men were forced to land at the village because their boat was riddled with bullets. They left on a 50-seat pumpboat, which they took from a local resident. Allan A. Nawal with reports from Jowel F. Canuday, PDI Mindanao Bureau, AP and AFP

May 26, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Chopper crash further cripples Air Force fleet, by TJ Burgonio,
Posted: 11:20 PM (Manila Time)

THE CRASH of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that killed seven airmen last week in Puerto Princesa is a big loss for the already depleted fleet of the Philippine Air Force.

The crash, according to Lt. Gen. Benjamin Defensor, commanding general of the Air Force, has left the Air Force with only 70 planes and helicopters, including one Sikorsky chopper, in good flying condition.

The ill-fated helicopter was one of two operational Sikorskys in the Air Force when it crashed on May 18. It got entangled with trees as it tried to fly out the bodies of six passengers of a Bell-107 helicopter that crashed there earlier.

Among those killed in the first crash was Lualhati Reyes, mother of Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes.

Still in flying condition in the Air Force fleet are other types of helicopters, trainers, fighters and attack aircraft, among others. Based on its recent inventory, the Air Force has a total of 130 aircraft.

Defensor said that even the old Fokker F-28 presidential plane was not in good condition but added this was now undergoing maintenance checks in Europe so it could be used by President Macapagal in her sorties in the countryside.

"It will be as good as new once the maintenance check is completed," he said.

So far, Ms Macapagal has turned down Defensor’s proposal to acquire a new presidential plane for her own safety. Since assuming office, she has been chartering an executive Learjet for her provincial trips.

With its considerably small fleet, the Air Force might be forced to limit its flight missions and reduce its annual 40,000 flying hours by 40 percent, Defensor told a press forum at the Air Force headquarters in Villamor Air Base.

He, however, said that he doesn’t see this as a cause for worry but an "opportunity to look for other ways" to upgrade its other aircraft.

The Air Force is planning to upgrade 46 aircraft within the next five years at an estimated cost of P1.2 billion. Next year, it is hoping to acquire new 24 multi-role aircraft, like F-16s and six helicopters, which is estimated to amount to P3 billion.

The money needed for the upgrade of Air Force aircraft has been included in the P1.2-billion budget for the armed forces modernization program for 2001, but this has yet to be released.

The Air Force has yet to request an additional budget for the purchase of new aircraft.

The Air Force had long wanted to embark on a massive modernization program but this has been hampered by budget constraints, an Air Force official said. He noted that the annual armed forces budget does not include an allocation for new aircraft acquisition.

May 21, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Chopper maker joins Palawan crash probe, by TJ Burgonio,

Posted: 10:49 PM (Manila Time)

EXPERTS from the United States-based engine manufacturer of the Bell-407 helicopter that crashed outside Puerto Princesa last Friday have arrived to help in the investigation of the accident.

Air Transportation Office investigators, who inspected the burned chopper at the crash site last Saturday, initially eyed engine malfunction because of the use of adulterated fuel as the cause of the crash.

Two experts from the Rolls Royce Engine Services-Oakland Inc., led by Dave Schaffar, flew into Manila early yesterday and met with ATO chief Adelberto Yap.

Rolls Royce is the manufacturer of the Bell-407 helicopter’s Allison engine. The engine, though badly burned, was still intact.

"We asked them (the manufacturer) to come because we need their technical expertise. They’ll serve as our consultants. Besides, it’s best that we involve everyone concerned,” Yap said.

Six people, including the mother of Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes, were killed after the helicopter crashed into a bamboo thicket in Barangay Manalo, 40 km north of Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Friday afternoon.

Three hours later, an Air Force Sikorsky helicopter which was sent to retrieve the bodies from the Bell-407 crash, also went down after it got entangled in power lines, killing all seven airmen on board.

Yap, who has ruled out sabotage as the cause of the crash, said it was likely that the helicopter experienced engine trouble because of the use of adulterated fuel.

The helicopter, owned by the Jaka Group of the Enrile family, had stopped for fuel at a refueling station in El Nido before flying back to Puerto Princesa.

Yap said the refueling station was notorious for stocking fuel mixed with water and was shunned by most pilots.

He said that the ATO control tower at the Puerto Princesa airport did not receive any distress call from the helicopter pilot, Capt. Renato Marukot, who last radioed the tower to request landing clearance while still 18 miles away.

“We’ll know the probable cause anytime this week,” said Yap.

The ATO has ordered all Bell-407 helicopters grounded until the cause of the Palawan crash is determined and until after these aircraft have undergone the necessary maintenance checks.

At least seven air charter operators in Manila, including Jaka, use the Bell-407 helicopter model.

May 21, 2001, Inquirer News Service, ATO rules out foul play in chopper crash,
May 19, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Gov’s ma, 5 others die in chopper crash,

May 26, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Leaders deny split in MNLF despite ouster of Nur Misuari, by Cynthia D. Balana,Posted: 11:40 PM (Manila Time)

THE CENTRAL committee of the Moro National Liberation Front yesterday denied the rebel group is being threatened with a split following the ouster of its longtime chair, Nur Misuari.

The committee would like to have Misuari’s status as the representative of the Bangsamoro people here and abroad, particularly in the influential Organization of Islamic Conference, withdrawn.

In a press conference in Makati yesterday, Dr. Parouk Hussin, the MNLF’s foreign affairs officer, said MNLF members wanted to “move forward” without Misuari whom they accused of failing to “perform his functions fully and correctly” as the MNLF chair.

But Misuari’s contributions were still appreciated, hence his elevation to the honorary post of chairman emeritus, said Hussin.

According to Hussin, there was need to clarify the issue as people in Mindanao were confused as to whether Misuari has relinquished his chairmanship of the MNLF.

Asked if Misuari’s refusal to accept the committee’s decision could mean a split in the MNLF, Hussin said he was optimistic that he would accept it, "being a mature person."

“It does not matter whether he accepts it or not. Misuari is not the MNLF and MNLF is not Misuari,” he said.

Two days after his ouster, Misuari made a public declaration that the MNLF wanted independence for Muslim Mindanao.

Hussin said Misuari’s independence declaration was “ill-advised” and violated the Constitution and the peace agreement between the MNLF and the government.

The MNLF central committee has already informed the Department of Foreign Affairs, members of the diplomatic corps and the OIC about the change in the MNLF leadership, said Hussin.

They would like to have Misuari’s invitation to attend the OIC meeting in Mali, Western Africa, from June 26 to 29 recalled.

May 26, 2001, Inquirer News Service, US slow on extradition of Estrada pals, Perez complains, by Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Posted: 11:30 PM (Manila Time)

THE UNITED States government might be slow to act on the arrest and deportation of two alleged accomplices of ousted President Joseph Estrada because it is waiting for the Philippines to extradite someone it wants.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said yesterday Washington has been slow to act on the Philippine request for the deportation or extradition of Charlie "Atong" Ang and Yolanda Ricaforte, two of Estrada’s co-accused in a plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.

Perez said he suspected the Americans were waiting for Manila to extradite another Estrada associate, tycoon Mark Jimenez, to the United States where he is wanted for tax evasion, mail fraud, conspiracy and for making illegal campaign contributions to the Democratic Party.

Jimenez has managed to stall his extradition for about three years by filing petition after petition with the Supreme Court. In the meantime, he managed to win a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 14 elections.

Not exempt

Perez has said a seat in Congress would not save Jimenez from extradition. The businessman had also offered to turn state witness against Estrada, but this was rejected by the government.

Perez said the government received reports Ang and Ricaforte were planning to seek political asylum in the US.

"Political asylum is only for those who are politically oppressed. It is not for those facing plunder charges," Perez said in a radio interview. "There is no politics involved here."

Ang is accused of collecting illegal gambling payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks for Estrada, while Ricaforte allegedly audited the money.

No comment

Perez said the two will have to prove they are being persecuted for their "political beliefs" in order to obtain asylum in the United States.

The two fled to the US a day before Estrada was toppled in a popular revolt on Jan. 20.

The US Embassy in Manila refused to comment on the status of the Philippine government’s request for the extradition of the two.

"We have no comment on press reports regarding Mr. Ang and Ms Ricaforte," Embassy public affairs officer Michael Anderson said when asked to comment the other day.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has canceled the passports of Ang and Ricaforte but the Embassy pointed out that the lack of a valid passport does not prevent one from applying for political asylum.

It said one seeking asylum does "not need travel documents."

Perez said the Philippines would strenously block the asylum bids of Ang and Ricaforte and press for their extradition to face charges here. With an AFP report

May 27, 2001, Inquirer News Service, 2 killed in NPA, RPA clash, by Nestor P. Burgos Jr. and Odon S. Bandiola, Posted: 7:51 PM (Manila Time)

ILOILO CITY--Two New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas were killed in a clash with members of the breakaway Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPA-ABB) in Barangay Osorio, Culasi town, Antique, belated reports said.

Killed were Rowena Marie Torrato, 35, a former fishery student of the University of the Philippines-Visayas; and Manny Oberio, 21, alias "Ka Cesar."

Torrato’s husband, Eldie Labinghisa, 38, was found by residents in a thickly forested area on May 24, bleeding from wounds in both legs. He was turned over to the detachment of the Army’s 12th Infantry Battalion based in Pandan town.

Labinghisa was taken to the Culasi District Hospital and later transferred to the Iloilo Doctors Hospital on May 25. Policemen were guarding his room after he was served an arrest warrant for a rebellion case in Antique.

The clash on May 21 was the first armed confrontation between the rival groups in Antique since the RPA-ABB broke away from the mainstream rebel group in the 1990s over ideological differences.

The RPA-ABB claimed responsibility for the killing yesterday, but said the clash was accidental.

Danile Batoy, alias "Ka Mokong," RPA-ABB leader, told the radio station RGMA-dyRU based in Aklan, that the NPA rebels were resting inside the hut that was actually an RPA-ABB safehouse.

"It only happened that when an RPA-ABB team approached the hut, it sensed armed men inside and opened fire," he said.

Batoy called on NPA leaders in the area for a dialogue so that areas of operation can be defined between them and avoid similar clashes.

The site of the clash and the neighboring towns of Pandan and Sebaste are being disputed by the RPA-ABB and NPA, according to Lt. Col. Lisander Suerte, 12th ID chief.

Labinghisa told the INQUIRER that he and his comrades were asleep inside the hut when they were fired upon by heavily armed men.

"Weng (Torrato), managed to shout, 'Kaaway!' (Enemy!) but was hit while still in her makeshift hammock," Labinghisa said.

They failed to fire back because they were taken by surprise, he said.

Torrato died from bullet wounds in the head and heart. Oberio died of loss of blood from a wound in the leg.

A bullet pierced Labinghisa’s left leg and went through the other leg. The rebel said he managed to crawl away from the hut and hide in the forested area.

Labinghisa said residents in the area confirmed that their attackers were RPA-ABB members.

May 27, 2001, Inquirer News Service, President's husband claims Sayyaf behind resort attack, by Martin P. Marfil, Posted: 11:10 PM (Manila Time)

FIRST Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo yesterday lashed out at the Abu Sayyaf following the abduction of 20 people, including three Americans, from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.

President Macapagal-Arroyo's spouse, however, may be barking up the wrong tree. Security officials said they could not ascertain yet what group was behind the raid.

"The people are angry at you, Abu Sayyaf. What you are doing is causing the entire country harm. What tourist in his right mind will come to the Philippines now?" Arroyo said in his weekly radio talk show.

"You must be mad for fighting your fellow Filipinos. Perhaps you are not Filipinos, you bunch of crazies," he said in Filipino.

"Gloria and the entire nation are united. Gloria will crush you," he added.

Other officials, however, voiced doubts whether the Abu Sayyaf was behind the daring attack.

"We don’t have any strong confirmation as yet if they are Abu Sayyaf," presidential spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said in Malacañang.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez also cautioned newsmen against linking the Abu Sayyaf to the raid on the basis of reports that the gunmen spoke Tausug.

"The government has not identified the group. There is no reason to speculate. What’s important is that we are pursuing the suspects," Golez told Davao City reporters over the telephone.

He said no contact had yet been made with the kidnappers.

"If they are Abu Sayyaf, we’ll find out for sure later on," Gen. Diomedio Villanueva, Armed Forces chief of staff, added.

Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan, a military spokesperson, said people tended to blame all kidnappings in Western Mindanao on the Abu Sayyaf.

Invincible?

"It’s not accurate . . . It gives them an image of invincibility," Adan said.

He said the abductions could have been carried out by "a splinter terrorist group whose appetite was whetted by the big ransom payments to the Abu Sayyaf last year."

The Abu Sayyaf, a small group of self-styled Islamic independence fighters, gained international notoriety in April last year when they raided a Malaysian resort and took 21 foreign and local hostages.

The hostages were held for months on the island of Jolo, about 480 kilometers to the south of the Dos Palmas resort across the Sulu Sea.

The Abu Sayyaf released many of their captives in exchange for hefty ransoms, while others were freed in a military assault.

"That is why the government is reiterating its no-ransom policy to discourage other lawless groups from taking advantage of the situation," Adan said.

He explained the military had been very careful in identifying the suspects because of the government’s ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. With reports from Jowel F. Canuday and Jonathan F. Ma, PDI Mindanao Bureau

StevenWarRan Research

Friday, September 7, 2012

May 27, 2001: Dos Palmas

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