November 13, 2001, The Philippine Star, Abu Sayyaf Henchman Captured,

ZAMBOANGA CITY,  — A henchman of Abu Sayyaf commanders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Sabaya was captured Saturday as government troops pushed their offensive against Abu Sayyaf bandits in Upper Manggas in Lantawan, Basilan.

Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, military Southern Command chief, said Muslimin Angani was carrying a P1-million bounty on his head at the time of his capture.

"This is a product of continuous operation not only on the group holding the hostages but also on the other group of the Abu Sayyaf acting as support force," he said.

Cimatu said the military is "near to neutralizing" the Abu Sayyaf, which continues to hold American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and eight Filipino hostages in Basilan.

"At this stage we are about to put the finishing nail to the coffin of the Abu Sayyaf," he said. "We are to finish the campaign against the bandits. The ending of this is a gift to Gen. (Jose) Calimlim, (Armed Forces vice chief, who is retiring from military service)."

Cimatu made the announcement during Calimlim’s tour of the Southcom headquarters at Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City yesterday.

In Sulu, two Scout Rangers died when a coconut tree fell on them while they were sleeping inside Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Barangay Busbus in Jolo at 7:20 a.m. last Saturday.

Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, Southcom spokesman, said M/Sgt. Catalino Calaqui and Sgt. Ernesto Kinahingan, both of the 5th Scout Ranger Company, died at the height of typhoon "Nanang."

Servando said a third soldier, Col. Maxon Macalingat, who was injured in the accident, was taken to Camp Asturias Hospital for treatment.

In Davao City, detained Abu Sayyaf leader Nadzie Sabdullah, alias Commander Global, laughed off yesterday the military's pronouncements that it would crush his band of bandits and terrorists by year’s end.

"They can keep on dreaming," Global told The STAR in his cell at the Davao del Norte Provincial Rehabilitation Center in Tagum City.

"The military can never eradicate the Abu Sayyaf. And the military men know why they could not put a stop to the Abu Sayyaf problem. They may kill the leaders now but more of them will come in the future."

Global said the Armed Forces cannot crush the Abu Sayyaf even with the help of American military advisers, who toured combat zones in Basilan and other parts of western Mindanao recently.

"The story (on the deadline to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf) has been there since the time of (ousted President Joseph Estrada)," he said. "So what else is new?"

Global said the military offensive to rescue the Burnhams and the Filipino hostages will not succeed because the Abu Sayyaf is "not afraid" of the soldiers.

"How can you say they would succeed when the Abu Sayyaf members are not afraid of the military," he said. "Besides, you should also think of the mass base that we have in the communities in the area. Almost all of these people there are our sympathizers. They support us."

Global said government troops should first kill Janjalani and Sabaya if they want to achieve a "temporary victory" in the military offensive.

"Our men know the terrain like the palm of their hands compared to the soldiers," he said. "We know where to go. The soldiers are often at a loss."

Global shares with 32 other inmates a cell that was built for 20 people. He is believed to have led the snatching of the 21 mostly foreign tourists from Sipadan island off Sabah on Easter Sunday last year.

However, Global denied being involved in the Sipadan kidnapping but admitted working with former presidential adviser on flagship projects Robert Aventajado and now Presidential Adviser on Muslim Affairs Farouk Husein in facilitating the release of 20 hostages. — Roel Pareño, Edith Regalado