September 25, 2000, BusinessWorld, Orly Assault over in less than a week,

September 25, 2000, BusinessWorld, Orly Assault over in less than a week,

BAD weather on Saturday delayed a military operation to rescue American hostage Jeffrey Schilling, but Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said yesterday he expected the massive assault on the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu to be over in ''less than a week.'' Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. said that an ''assault was launched'' on Saturday to rescue Schilling but ''the weather turned bad and delayed the operations.''

Puno added, however, that the military ''is still confident that there will be news soon,'' referring to the attempt to rescue the 24-year-old resident of Oakland, California. ''Fighting is continuing,'' he told Reuters. He said the troops had encircled the Abu Sayyaf camp in Luuk town and were moving in, confirming an earlier INQUIRER report that Marine troops were within close range of the hideout and were poised to attack.

''We're really hoping that we can finish (the whole operation in Sulu) in the shortest possible time,'' Mercado said in a phone interview. ''We might need less than a week.'' The statements came amid mounting concern over the assault's toll on civilian lives, as well as clamor among Muslim and militant groups for the lifting of a news blackout on the Jolo offensive.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Angelo Reyes and Philippine National Police Director General Panfilo Lacson flew to Jolo from Zamboanga City yesterday for a brief visit to assess the military operation. Neither spoke to the press before leaving Zamboanga but pledged to brief a pool of about three dozen journalists who were set to sail for Jolo last night in the first officially sanctioned visit to the island, Agence France Presse reported.

The military gives daily news briefings in Zamboanga City, but yesterday's conference was canceled without explanation. The government's recent attempts to rescue Schilling follow statements from Cabinet officials reflecting uncertainty over how to handle the abduction, since the American reportedly has close ties with the Abu Sayyaf. At the same time, the officials have said that efforts to rescue the American will be kept up. Although Mercado was tight-lipped on the details of ''operational matters,'' he was ''optimistic'' despite the failure of the military to meet its self-imposed deadline of one week to rescue a group of hostages and crush the Abu Sayyaf. ''The key here is for the naval blockade around Sulu to work and prevent the escape of the Abu Sayyaf,'' Mercado said.

Lesson from Vietnam

A military official who asked not to be named said the Abu Sayyaf gunmen were ''able to slip out of their strongholds in the early stage of the operations.'' He added: ''(Now) our troops have to pursue them.'' He and other officers said this helped explain why the operations had exceeded the original timetable of three days to one week. Troops also have to contend with difficult terrain and unpredictable weather, they added.

Mercado flew to Zamboanga City Friday to confer with military officials and get a first-hand account of the assault, and to verify reports of extensive civilian casualties. Back in Manila yesterday, Mercado again disputed those reports. ''We have learned lessons from the Vietnam War,'' he said. ''There's no use hiding casualties, both our own as well as civilians.''

'Military not reliable'

''We must remember that in areas where the Abu Sayyaf was able to spread part of the ransom money they collected, they were able to recruit supporters who may be those who are now claiming that civilians are being hurt,'' Mercado said. The official toll is 28 Abu Sayyaf gunmen, two civilians and a soldier dead. But reports filtering out of Jolo indicate much higher civilian casualties.

A militant fisherfolk group lambasted Mercado for dismissing the allegations as ''propaganda.'' ''The military is not a reliable source of information . . . the press should look for alternative sources of information,'' said Rodolfo Sambajon, head of Pamalakaya. ''The Estrada administration should allow concerned groups and human rights organizations to conduct relief and medical operations and (confirm reports of) human rights violations,'' he urged.

Near breaking point

In Jolo, Sulu Rep. Hussin Amin said residents were near ''breaking point'' nine days after the military launched its assault. Prices of basic commodities like sugar, milk, rice and canned goods have risen in the capital town by as much as 20 percent in the past few days. The naval quarantine of the island is depriving small fishermen of their usual fishing grounds and hurting Jolo's trade with outlying islands, Yusah said.

He also said Muslim religious leaders were being swamped with complaints against soldiers who had allegedly killed civilians suspected to be Abu Sayyaf supporters, and who had looted and burned villages. Thousands of students in areas outside the capital town of Jolo cannot attend school because schools have been converted into evacuation centers, according to Amin. The number of evacuees has grown to 13,500, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Sulu.

Ulama, Muslim youth

The Federation of Muslim Religious Leaders, Professionals and Youth in Jolo is asking President Estrada to lift the ban on travel, information and communication, including the news blackout in Sulu. The federation also urged Mr. Estrada and the military to allow its members access to military-controlled areas to check alleged human rights abuses.

''The ban is a violation of the human rights of Sulu residents. This can be grounds for impeachment for President Estrada,'' said Ustadz Saad Yusah, spokesperson of the federation and its 13-member ulama council. The federation will stage protests in Jolo unless the military lifts the ''undeclared martial law'' in Sulu, according to Yusah.

From mosque to mosque

''We will go from mosque to mosque to bring the issue to the people,'' Yusah told the INQUIRER. He also denounced military authorities for requiring Sulu residents to obtain police clearances, which they are required to present to soldiers at checkpoints. He condemned the practice as a clear violation of the right of residents to travel.

Yusah said Sulu residents were living in fear after the bodies of four alleged victims of ''summary executions'' were found in the capital town of Jolo last week. Police have no suspects, and have not identified the dead. But Sulu Rep. Asani Tammang urged residents to be patient with the military offensive. Tammang said ''sacrifices'' were necessary to get rid of the Abu Sayyaf, which he described as ''the root of all evil'' in his province. ''Unless we get rid the Abu Sayyaf, we cannot start rebuilding Sulu,'' he said. With reports from Andrea Trinidad; Inquirer wires