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April 11, 2002, The Philippine Star, Influential clans aiding Abu,

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April 11, 2002, The Philippine Star, Influential clans aiding Abu,

 

ISABELA CITY, Basilan – Some influential families in Basilan are helping Abu Sayyaf terrorists escape a joint Philippine-US military operation to crush them, Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said yesterday. "There are some individuals from influential families in Basilan who are coddling the Abu Sayyaf. It hampers our operations to annihilate the bandit group," Villanueva told reporters.

 

Philippine troops last Monday raided the house of Dorie Kalahal, mayor of Tuburan town in Basilan, after receiving reports that members of the Abu Sayyaf, including its spokesman Aldam Tilao, alias Abu Sabaya, were staying there. No arrests were made, but one of the mayor's relatives was reportedly wounded in a gunfight between the soldiers and members of Kalahal's household.

 

The military seized guns and communications equipment from the house. US Special Forces troops, training and advising Filipino troops on the island, were not known to have taken part in the raid. Kalahal has denied  giving sanctuary to the Abu Sayyaf and threatened to file charges against the military for illegally entering his home.

 

Villanueva maintained that the authorities held an arrest warrant for Abu Sayyaf rebels issued by a court. "Go ahead and file charges. We are willing to face any investigation," he said. Meanwhile, senators began yesterday an inquiry on alleged military abuses in Basilan to help them draft laws that would strengthen the Armed Forces so it could defeat terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf.

 

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, said the inquiry will try to find out how to identify and rehabilitate human rights victims and their families. "We have to evaluate," he said. "We can't simply come to judgment. We have to hear both sides and dig deeper on these it's too early we have to withhold judgment until we see the other side." Accompanied by Senators Robert Barbers and Renato Cayetano, Pangilinan said the inquiry will not derail the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf. "We in the Senate would like the military to succeed in the operation against the Abu Sayyaf in this area," he said. "We are here not to suppress the military operations against the lawlessness as the Senate supports the campaign to eradicate lawlessness."

 

Pangilinan said the inquiry will help the Armed Forces enforce its mandate of protecting the integrity of Philippine territory without causing injury to civilans. "Clearly, you will need some military might to crash the Abu Sayyaf–these are violent individuals they have no qualms about belief and respect to human lives these are vicious people," he said. "The military need to use might to stop this through legitimate might."

 

Barbers urged the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the alleged Abuses committed by the Abu Sayyaf. The public hearing at the Basilan State College was attended by relatives of suspected Abu Sayyaf symphatizers whom the military arrested recently. The Abu Sayyaf is still holding captive American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipino nurse Deborah Yap.–AFP and Roel Pareño

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