June 20, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Robot to surrender soon—Chavit, by Leoncio Balbin Jr. and Juliet Labog-Javellana,

June 20, 2001, Inquirer News Service, Robot to surrender soon—Chavit, by Leoncio Balbin Jr. and Juliet Labog-Javellana, 

VIGAN CITY--Barring any hitches, Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang, alias Kumander Robot, will surrender to authorities "two to three days from now," outgoing Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson said yesterday. 

Ten couriers, led by a Muslim academic, involved in the negotiations for Andang’s surrender, have been given safe conduct passes "to go back to Kumander Robot," Singson said in a telephone interview. 

The couriers, whom Singson declined to identify, were given a satellite phone and would contact him as soon as they reach Andang in Sulu, he said. 

Singson, who is brokering the surrender of Andang and 17 of his men from the Sulu faction of the extremist Abu Sayyaf, said he was acting in his private capacity and spending his own money to facilitate the surrender. 

Although he has not been sanctioned as an official government negotiator, Singson said he was in constant communication with Malacañang. 

He said that as soon as Andang agrees to surrender, he would relay the information to military officials and plans would be mapped out for the surrender. 

From Malacañang, Presidential Spokesperson Rigoberto Tiglao said some kind of mechanism would be put in place to facilitate Andang’s surrender but stressed that the Abu Sayyaf leader would be immediately arrested upon his surrender. 

"If ever that occurs, he will be fetched but he will be put immediately under arrest," Tiglao said. 

Tiglao clarified the conflicting positions expressed by various high government officials on the issue of a safe conduct pass for Andang. 

In her weekly news conference on Tuesday, President Macapagal-Arroyo emphatically said that Andang would not get a safe conduct pass and that Singson was not asking for one anyway. 

But Armed Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan was reported to have said after the news conference that the military was going to issue one to Andang so he could leave his hideout and meet Singson. 

Tiglao said the Department of National Defense has clarified that a criminal is not entitled to a safe conduct pass. 

"Andang was charged with murder and kidnapping two years ago. Definitely, it’s hard to give a safe conduct pass to a person who has been charged. It would look like you are saying he is innocent," Tiglao said. 

Andang and his group were responsible for the abduction of European and Asian hostages from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan last year.