March 22, 2001, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf: We beheaded 6 soldiers, by Roel Pareño,

March 22, 2001, The Philippine Star, Sayyaf: We beheaded 6 soldiers, by Roel Pareño,

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Six soldiers were reportedly beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf after they were killed in fighting between the bandits and government troops in the jungles of Talipao, Sulu last Monday. 

In an interview with radio station dxRZ, Abu Sabaya, spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf, said the six were among 11 soldiers the bandits had killed in action. 

"We only showed mercy to the dying enemies," he said. "That’s why we beheaded them." 

However, Sabaya’s statement was debunked yesterday by Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, spokesman for the Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom). 

Servando said only one soldier, and not 11, was killed in Monday’s encounter with 100 Abu Sayyaf bandits, and that no soldier had been beheaded at the scene of the firefight. 

On the other hand, Lt. Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias, Southcom civil relations chief, said Sabaya is "an incorrigible liar" who has a psychological problem. 

"He is suffering psychologically because of what he did when he beheaded two innocent teachers in Basilan last year," Covarrubias said. "And now his conscience is being bothered." 

Troops from the Army’s 4th Infantry Battalion had tried to penetrate the jungles of Patikul in search of the Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot. 

The bandits are holding American Jeffrey Schilling, who was captured last year when he went to see Sabaya, and Filipino Roland Ullah, who was one of the original 21 mostly foreign hostages taken from the resort island of Sipadan off Sabah on Easter Sunday last year. 

Servando said the continued presence of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu has hampered government efforts to develop the island’s far-flung towns and barangays. 

"That’s why they managed to get the sympathy of these people by playing Robin Hood," he said. "The Abu Sayyaf tried to block development projects in remote areas in Sulu to make it appear that the government is neglecting the villagers." 

In Davao del Sur, government troops are hot on the trail of 70 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas who had earlier raided a military detachment in Magsaysay town. 

Servando said the rebels killed a soldier and wounded four others, and took with them three rifles of unknown caliber, two Armalites and three Garands after ransacking the detachment’s armory. 

Servando said the guerrillas fled toward the jungles of Bacungan and are believed to be still holed up in an area on the border of Magsaysay and another town. 

Troops in Northern Mindanao had been alerted following the series of NPA attacks as the rebels are believed to be taking advantage of the government-declared ceasefire.