June 22, 2002, Manila Bulletin, Opinion,

June 22, 2002, Manila Bulletin, Opinion,

Although Abu Sabaya was reported dead and we are jubilant about the report, one of the former hostages is skeptical about Sabaya's fate. Raul Recio wants to see Sabaya's body to be certain that he is really dead. This wish is normal to anyone who has undergone the hostages' bad experience with the Abu Sayyaf. But such jubilance and skepticism were given a sour note. Recio's comment, shared by many of us in this country, said "we cannot rely on the word of the military," who claimed many times that the Abu Sayyaf leaders were dead only to turn out as many times still very alive. Tactics? Even psychos won't fall for such psycho-war.