June 25, 2001, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf member falls near Southcom HeadQuarter, by Roel Pareño,

June 25, 2001, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf member falls near Southcom HeadQuarter, by Roel Pareño,

Too close for comfort. 

Police arrested yesterday another suspected Abu Sayyaf member during a raid on a hideout of the Muslim extremist group close to the military's Southern Command (Southcom) headquarters in Zamboanga City. 

Hussin Kasim became the second suspected Abu Sayyaf member to be captured by government agents in the city within the week. 

Combined military and police elements captured earlier Mulu Abdullah, alias Boy Iran, who carried a P1-million bounty on his head. 

Zamboanga City police director Superintendent Mario Yanga said Kasim was arrested by a police team led by Chief Inspector Bayani Gucela. 

The raid on the Abu Sayyaf's den was conducted on the strength of a warrant issued by Basilan Municipal Judge Danilo Bucoy. 

No further details of Kasim's arrest were available. 

In Manila, Philippine National Police chief Director General Leandro Mendoza is also expected to make public today the arrest of another suspected Abu Sayyaf intelligence officer identified as Abdul Ajid. 

Camp Crame sources said Ajid was being subjected to tactical interrogation over the past few days. 

PNP officials said the series of arrest of suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits would speed up the dismantling of the extremist group's network in Mindanao and in urban centers nationwide. 

Meanwhile, the military has cast doubts on the veracity of reports that Abu Sayyaf bandits have released three more Filipino hostages who were expected to descend from the hills during the weekend. 

An unidentified independent negotiator told Reuters on Friday that the freed hostages were expected to reach safety within 48 hours. 

The military said there had been no sightings of any freed captives until yesterday. 

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao expressed suspicions on the motives of the purported backdoor negotiators, believed to be former Malaysian Sen. Sairin Karno and businessman Yusuf Hamdan who the rebels specifically demanded as go-between with the government. 

Officials said they have received calls from people identifying themselves as Sairin and Hamdan, saying they were in direct contact with the Abu Sayyaf terrorists holding about two dozen Filipino and American hostages. 

Tiglao questioned Hamdan's motive in offering himself as a mediator. 

"We appreciate his help, but are a bit worried if he's doing if for the sake of Muslims or for other reasons. We are not too happy about it," Tiglao said. 

Sairin and Hamdan negotiated with the Abu Sayyaf for the release of nine Malaysians seized by the extremist group from the posh dive resort of Sipadan in Borneo on Easter Sunday last year. 

The hostages were allegedly freed in exchange for an undetermined amount of ransom, although the funds were euphemistically called "development aid." 

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez branded the reported release of the hostages as "mere rumors." 

"They said they were released some days ago, but we have seen nothing yet," Golez said. 

It would take at least three days for released captives to walk from the Abu Sayyaf's jungle lair to military lines. 

It was estimated that the Abu Sayyaf still holds 21 hostages, among them an American missionary couple and five Filipinos snatched from the upscale Dos Palmas resort in Palawan last May 27. 

A third American, 40-year-old Californian Guillermo Sobero, was presumed executed by his captors. 

Two of the Dos Palmas Filipino hostages were executed earlier, while 11 others were either freed or rescued during clashes with pursuing soldiers. 

The bandits took four more hostages from a hospital in Lamitan town last June 2 and 15 workers from a plantation in Lantawan town which was raided on June 11. 

Meanwhile, Tiglao took exceptions to reports that relatives of poor Abu Sayyaf victims have been complaining about government apathy to their plight. 

"We are mobilizing the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) to help the residents of Lamitan hit by the armed conflict," Tiglao said, adding that the Abu Sayyaf, not the government, should be blamed for the sufferings being encountered by residents of the island province. Tiglao said the beheading of certain hostages merely emphasized the brutality of the Abu Sayyaf. 

At the same time, Tiglao said the United States will not allow Libya to intervene in the hostage crisis in Basilan by putting up ransom money. 

In another development, a policeman was killed while three of his comrades were wounded in a shootout with four armed men in Zamboanga City Saturday afternoon. 

Slain was PO1 Bashir Elhano, while those wounded were identified as SPO3 Bajal Ahmad, PO3 Bonifacio Tinay and PO3 Michael Concepcion, all assigned with the traffic patrol group. Also wounded in the shootout were civilians Angelito Layos, Antonio Garcia and a still unidentified tricycle driver. – With reports from Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Aurea Calica