/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ June 1, 2001, The Philippine Star, US, DFA: No foreign intervention vs Abu, by Marichu Villanueva and Efren Danao,
June 1, 2001, The Philippine Star, US, DFA: No foreign intervention vs Abu, by Marichu Villanueva and Efren Danao,
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June 1, 2001, The Philippine Star, US, DFA: No foreign intervention vs Abu, by Marichu Villanueva and Efren Danao,
Just a little help from one's friends.
Top government and military officials assured the public yesterday that the assistance being offered by the US government against the Abu Sayyaf does not constitute "foreign intervention."
Vice President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto Guingona said the US offer should not be interpreted as foreign intervention because control of the operations remains directly under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
"We welcome their assistance as long as the control of the operations is under the AFP," Guingona said.
The US Embassy, for its part, issued a statement affirming its position that the Philippine government "has the lead" in resolving the crisis and the US was only looking after the interest of three Americans.
"The US has not intervened in this matter," the embassy said in a statement. "We remain in close contact with the Government of the Philippines because three Americans are involved."
The Palace also dismissed suggestions the US offer constituted foreign intervention and said such offer was normal among allies.
"It is the kind of help being offered by friends," said Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao, who reiterated the government's appreciation for the US offer of assistance.
Malacanang, the military and several senators stressed, however, that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can handle the situation.
The US government offered help against Abu Sayyaf bandits who kidnapped on Sunday three Americans and 17 Filipinos from an island resort off Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. This has been criticized by some sectors as "foreign intervention."
"(But) There hasn't been any concrete or specific area of cooperation discussed between the Philippine and US governments," Tiglao said, adding the AFP feels it can handle the situation but could use some help in information or intelligence gathering.
Senators even welcomed the US offer, saying it would not diminish Philippine sovereignty but instead weaken international terrorism.
"If the US government will give the necessary equipment, we could run after the Abu Sayyaf much faster and eventually release the hostages," said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
Senate Minority Leader Renato Cayetano also expressed gratitude for the US offer and noted the US has been steadfast in its position against international terrorism.
"What is important is that the Philippine government appears to have welcomed the US offer to help recover the hostages," he said.
"The assistance could take any form. It could be in the form of modern communication facilities or the use of tracking satellites that could pinpoint the exact whereabouts of the kidnappers and the hostages," he added.
The AFP, on the other hand, assured it can handle the hostage crisis but could use aerial and night-time reconnaissance equipment to locate the Abu Sayyaf bandits and their hostages.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan confirmed talks are now ongoing to decide what kind of assistance it requires.
"What we need now is any assistance on information gathering or intelligence gathering. What the Philippines needs is being discussed at the level of the National Security Council," Adan said.
"We don't need (American) combat troops here. We can handle this. What is needed here is information," he added, stressing the military's need for aerial and night-time reconnaissance equipment.
But Adan stressed the US F/A-18 fighter jets, CH-53 helicopters and C-130 transport planes that were asked to land at Clark Field in Pampanga had nothing to do with the military operations against the bandit group.
"The presence of the US forces in Clark... is not in any way connected with the hostage crisis," he said, adding the aircraft were en route to their base in Okinawa, Japan from military exercises in Thailand.
Officials said the planes were asked to land in Clark because they could not land and refuel at Puerto Princesa City, where the 20 hostages were abducted from an island resort off the city.
Neither were the three US naval vessels that docked at the Subic Freeport connected with the hostage crisis, he added.
The naval vessels and 1,400 personnel at Subic are in the country for long-scheduled 11-day military exercises, called Cooperation Afloat Readiness Training (CARAT-01).
Military, police continue manhunt
Meanwhile, Adan said troops from the Army's 103rd Brigade have reportedly recovered personal items in Basilan island which could have belonged to the hostages.
"If it's confirmed (the items belong to any of the hostages), then it's very possible that they have reached Basilan," Adan said.
The bandits and their hostages were last sighted on May 28 at the remote island of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi where they abducted four fishermen who later escaped or were released.
The bandits presumably stopped over at Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi which is midway between the Palawan archipelago, where the hostages were kidnapped, and the bandits' strongholds in the Sulu and Basilan areas.
The bandits reportedly divided the hostages into two groups with the three Americans being held by one Abu Sayyaf group while the Filipinos are held by another.
"We have many reports (of sightings) and we are verifying each of them. We must be careful because these reports may be deliberately fed to mislead us," Adan said.
Adan admitted the Philippine naval assets that were sent to blockade the Sulu and Basilan areas may have been insufficient due to the vastness of the sea, the bandits' procurement of new and fast boats as well as their wily techniques in eluding pursuing forces.
"It's difficult now because this group has bought new equipment and have been transferring from one island to another and the military blockade is insufficient considering the vastness of the sea," he said.
Adan clarified, however, that the authorities' failure to pinpoint the exact location of the hostages does not necessarily mean lack of progress.
"We were able to find some evidence of their presence and we are tracing them," Adan said.
He said the Navy recovered on Tuesday an abandoned 25-foot speedboat fitted with three engines of 200 horsepower each, one of the three boats reportedly used by the kidnappers in staging the abduction.
The boat, he said, was found adrift at around 10 a.m. near Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi where Marines also found a luggage name tag, an automated teller machine (ATM) card and an Olympus camera.
"Even gasoline from small boats of fishermen were forcibly taken by siphoning them off," Adan said.
The police, meanwhile, filed kidnapping charges against the Abu Sayyaf before government lawyers in Palawan.
The police charged Abu Ahmad Salayuddi, alias Abu Sabaya, and some 22 unnamed members of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Sabaya was allegedly positively identified by three witnesses as the one who appeared to have led the 22-man group that raided the Dos Palmas island resort and seized the 20 hostages.
The three witnesses were identified as Peter Largo, Manuelita Osan Mondia and Isagani Tungo Fortunato, all workers of the resort. -- With reports from Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude, Roel Pareno, Sandy Araneta, Perseus Echeminada, Jose Aravilla, Aurea Calica, Ding Cervantes
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