February 13, 2002, The Philippine Star, Additional troops sent to Sulu,

February 13, 2002, The Philippine Star, Additional troops sent to Sulu,

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Hostilities in Sulu are expected to intensify in the coming days after armed followers of jailed rebel leader Nur Misuari allegedly merged with two factions of the Abu Sayyaf group against government forces, the military announced yesterday. 

Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu said he has deployed an additional Marine battalion to Sulu on the heels of fresh hostilities that resulted in the death of some 20 Abu Sayyaf extremists. 

Southcom vice commander Marine Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Diaz said the 10th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT) was redeployed from Lanao del Sur and sent to Sulu to augment some 3,000 troops who are already pursuing the Abu Sayyaf factions of Mujib Susukan and Radulan Sahiron. 

Cimatu said the merging of the Abu Sayyaf and the Misuari loyalists increased to 150 the strength of the armed renegades in Sulu and the military expects the number to increase further. 

"This is now the focus of our operations and I expect higher intensity as far as combat operations are concerned," Cimatu said, adding that operations on nearby Basilan island against the Abu Sayyaf faction of Aldam Tilao, alias Abu Sabaya, will not be diminished. 

The Abu Sayyaf faction of Tilao and Isnilon Hapilon is still holding hostage American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Filipina nurse Deborah Yap but they are now confined to a smaller area of the central Sampinit complex. 

In Sulu, fresh fighting erupted around 6 a.m. yesterday in a remote village in Indanan and two OV-10 planes and at least two MG-520 attack helicopters struck rebel positions to support the men of the 4th Infantry Battalion. 

Southcom operations chief Col. Roland Detabali said government troops were able to repulse renegades commanded by Susukan and recovered firearms and bloodstained clothing from the site but Sahiron’s group engaged troops again around noon. 

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta said at least 10 rebels were killed in the attack. 

Hostilities actually broke out on Friday after rebels attacked patrolling troops and left six soldiers dead in Barangay Kanjamak in Patikul town. 

The fighting continued through Sunday as some 80 Abu Sayyaf bandits attacked troops of the 6th Infantry Battalion in the nearby village of Kabuntakas but government forces repulsed the attack and inflicted an undetermined number of casualties on the bandits. 

Fighting also erupted on Sibago island off Basilan between Army soldiers and some 30 Misuari followers, although there were no immediate reports of casualties. 

"Troops assaulted encampments of the Misuari renegade group in Sibago island, off Basilan. There is fighting in the island and troops are pursuing the rebels," Detabali said.
Kidnap me?
Meanwhile, former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson confirmed that broadcast journalist Arlyn de la Cruz called him to say she had been kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf who are demanding P40 million ransom. 

"She sounded very terrified," Singson said in an interview with radio station dzRH. "I asked her if she has indeed been taken hostage because she is known to have a direct relationship with the Abu Sayyaf." 

De la Cruz, who has managed to get exclusive footage of the Burnhams in captivity two months ago, is believed to be a girlfriend of an Abu Sayyaf bandit and is suspected of conniving with the bandits. 

"But she said she is being held by another group," Singson quoted De la Cruz as saying, adding that she asked him to raise P500,000 as initial payment to open ransom negotiations. 

But Southcom officials are unconvinced that De la Cruz was abducted and suggested she may have walked into an Abu Sayyaf lair three weeks ago to see her boyfriend. 

"We are looking into it as a possible ‘kidnap me’ scenario. We really have to see evidence (that she was kidnapped)," said Southcom spokesman Lt. Col. Danilo Servando. 

The incident has led the military and police here to enforce stricter measures on local and foreign journalists after two foreign journalists, identified only as Jamal Handem and Christopher John, claimed they foiled an attempt to abduct them, Servando added.
Trial vs Abu starts in Taguig
In a related development, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said 23 witnesses, 15 of whom are children, are expected to testify against Abu Sayyaf members who seized teachers and students in Basilan in March 2000. 

Perez told reporters the children and their teachers will appear before the sala of Rizal Judge Lilly Acebo in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig today for a pre-trial of the case against the Abu Sayyaf. 

The pre-trial begins after the Supreme Court granted the government motion to transfer the venue of the trial from Basilan TO a Rizal regional trial court. 

The kidnapping charges were filed against Abu Sayyaf ringleaders Hector Janjalani, Aldam Tilao alias "Abu Sabaya," Ghalib Andang alias "Robot" and Nadzmie Sabtullah alias "Global." 

Janjalani was arrested at a Manila shopping mall in December 2001 as he was trying to sell a videotape of their American captive of the moment Jeffrey Schilling. He is now held at Camp Bagong Diwa. 

Perez said the Abu Sayyaf abducted at gunpoint at Puno Mahadji and brought to the Sampinit mountain complex and were forced to walk barefoot across mountains and rivers to Lantawan town and Kumalarang village in Isabela City in Basilan. 

The children were rescued by Army troopers in Isabela, Basila while Fr. Rhoel Gallardo, the town curé, and one Ruben Democrito were subsequently killed. 

On April 19 of the same year, the Abu Sayyaf also beheaded their other hostages Nelson Enriquez, Dante Uban and Annabelle Mendoza for which Janjalani and the others were also charged of murder. - Roel Pareño, Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla