March 27, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf to kill captives if Janjalani's kin not freed,

March 27, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf to kill captives if Janjalani's kin not freed,

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Abu Sayyaf guerrillas are threatening to kill their 33 remaining hostages if the wife and family of their leader Khadaffy Janjalani are not freed.

"Anytime, we can execute the hostages," said the group's spokesman Abu Ahmad Salayuddin. "If the lives of the victims don't mean anything to them, we can also sacrifice our own families."

A day after turning over 18 hostages to government negotiators, Salayuddin said over local radio that the group could not guarantee the safety of more than 30 remaining captives if something untoward happens to Janjalani's family.

At Malacañang, President Estrada said military patrols in Mindanao are not intended to harass the people, but to defend them from the rebels. "If they (rebels) will continue to violate truces, we have no choice but to respond accordingly to stop their atrocities," he said. "The government will not abandon its duty to protect the rights of ordinary citizens to have a peaceful and decent life."

In Basilan, a certain Abdul Midjal, who is reportedly a bodyguard of Gov. Wahab Akbar, has admitted kidnapping Janjalani's family in retaliation for the abduction of over 50 people, including Midjal's daughter.

Midjal's group reportedly snatched 10 relatives of Janjalani, including his wife, mother and one-year-old daughter, to pressure the Abu Sayyaf into releasing the hostages. The Abu Sayyaf, now known as Al Harakatul Islamia, has accused Akbar of being the mastermind in the kidnapping of Janjalani's family.

Last week, the Abu Sayyaf abducted the 53 students and teachers, including a Catholic priest after a failed raid on an Army outpost in Basilan, in which two soldiers were also wounded.

Meanwhile, Akbar challenged the Abu Sayyaf yesterday to free the hostages and face government forces in combat. The governor was reacting to Salayuddin's call over the radio for Akbar and his men to set foot at Camp Abubakar, a stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mt. Mahajir in Sumisip, Basilan.

"If they are tough enough, they should release the innocent ones and face us squarely... we will take their challenges," he said. "Their abduction of 53 innocent civilians to be used as human shield is an act of cowardice."

Apart from 200 sacks of rice, canned goods, and medicine, the Abu Sayyaf is also demanding for the removal of Akbar and Basilan police director Superintendent Akmadul Pangambayan as a condition for negotiating to free the remaining hostages.

Akbar, on the other hand, said the Abu Sayyaf could no longer sustain their operations and that the group's members have become demoralized. Pangambayan said the Abu Sayyaf wants him removed because he had stopped their illegal activities like extortion and drug trafficking since he took charge of the Basilan police.

In the meantime, Basilan Rep. Abdulgani "Gerry" Salapuddin left yesterday for Basilan to negotiate for the release of Janjalani's relatives. Salapuddin appealed to Midjal's group to free the Janjalani family to ease the brewing tension in the region, which he said could endanger the lives of the two sets of hostages.

"This is not the right way of solving the crisis," he told reporters yesterday. "We have to be rational enough, we are already confronting the problem and we must solve this peacefully."

As Salapuddin made his appeal, relatives of the hostages, including former hostages themselves, rallied in front of the Claret school to call on the Abu Sayyaf to free the remaining captives.

At Army headquarters, Southern Command chief Maj. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said three Army battalions remain on standby after local government and church officials requested on Friday to halt any rescue operation to allow negotiations. In case the talks fail, the troops could be immediately mobilized because the Army's primary concern is the safety of the hostages, he added.

In Isabela, Basilan, Brig. Gen. Glicerio Sua, commander of the Army's 103rd Brigade, said troops have been dispatched to rescue Janjalani's family. However, he refused to reveal the exact location where the troops were deployed to prevent other groups from sabotaging the planned operation.

Fighting continues

In Baloi, Lanao del Norte, at least three MILF guerrillas were killed and an undetermined number, including a soldier, were wounded after government troops stormed a rebel safehouse last Thursday. The military said sporadic clashes are going on as Army scout rangers continued mopping-up operations in several areas in Lanao del Norte. Villanueva identified the wounded soldier as Pfc. Gil Goyo, and the MILF casualties as Lumir and Oging Sumangka, and a certain Tahir.

He said government troops also recovered an Armalite rifle with three rounds of ammunition, an ICOM antenna, and a wet cell battery. On the same day, two MILF fighters were also killed after the Army bombarded with 105mm howitzers and mortars a rebel lair in Barangay Lamak in Tagoloan town, he added.

Later, the MILF camp was overrun by troops from the 30th Infantry Division and that they discovered 40 foxholes, said Maj. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, commander of the Army's 6th Division.

In Central Mindanao, MILF documents seized by the Army showed the rebels have already collected millions of pesos through extortion from different bus companies and local government officials, said Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias, chief of the Armed Forces' Public Relations Group for Mindanao.

"With these voluminous documents, I believe they cannot deny that they are behind the series of extortion activities and perhaps the recent bombings," he said.

In Maguindanao, thousands of Marines from Sulu are expected to arrive at Polloc Point at 7 a.m. today as part of a final offensive to capture MILF lairs, including Camp Abubakar. MILF leader Salamat Hashim lives in Camp Abubakar, an MILF-held territory and fortress that contains a guerrilla training school.

Officials of towns surrounding Camp Abubakar said the Marines could be deployed in their territories and military officials have already coordinated with local governments. "We don't see any problem here because we know that the Marines are disciplined and respectful of civilians," said a councilor in Parang town. "Of course their coming would cause tension and we are praying that they would not be provoked by the MILF."

Salamat on the other hand, said the Marines are being deployed in Maguindanao to pressure the MILF to agree to an immediate settlement of security problems in the province. "We are expecting so much from the Estrada administration...something good...something bad." he said. "We are prepared for all of these."

At Malacañang, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said government troops will continue to patrol Mindanao to protect residents from MILF harassment. Aguirre also said skirmishes between Army soldiers and MILF guerrillas occurred on March 23 and 24 during routine military patrols. - Roel Pareño, John Unson, Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP