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Home/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ September 20, 2007, The Philippine Star, High Profile Abu Leader Hapilon Evaded Military Tray, Slips Back to Sulu, by Roel Pareño,

September 20, 2007, The Philippine Star, High Profile Abu Leader Hapilon Evaded Military Tray, Slips Back to Sulu, by Roel Pareño,

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names Trillanes

 

September 20, 2007, The Philippine Star, High Profile Abu Leader Hapilon Evaded Military Tray, Slips Back to Sulu, by Roel Pareño,

 

SUMISIP, BASILAN, SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 (STAR) - One of the remaining high profile Abu Sayyaf leaders evaded the military dragnet and slipped back to Sulu, officials said.

 

Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino confirmed reports that Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and a handful of his men managed to evade the military and slipped to Sulu.

 

Dolorfino, however, said it was not clear whether Hapilon escaped before or after the July 10 ambush of the 14 Marines where 10 of the soldiers were beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf.

 

"There was an Abu Sayyaf high value target here and that is Hapilon but he escaped back to Sulu. It was not clear if he was here but his son was reportedly among the casualties in the recent offensive," Dolorfino said.

 

Hapilon originally led the bandit group in Sulu but went to Basilan to escape the military offensive where Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and deputy Jainal Antel Sali Jr. alias Abu Solaiman were killed.

 

The death of Janjalani and Solaiman left Hapilon as the lone Abu Sayyaf leader wanted by the US government for the kidnapping of American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and Guillermo Sobero in 2001.

 

Sobero was beheaded by the bandits while Martin was caught in a crossfire during the rescue attempt by the military in Zamboanga del Norte a year later.

 

The US government had put up $5 million reward for the capture of Hapilon, Janjalani, Solaiman, Abu Sabaya and Hamsiraji Sali.

 

Except for Hapilon, the four bandit leaders have been killed in military offensives.

 

Dolorfino said military offensives will continue even amid calls by religious leaders for a ceasefire in observance of the holy month of Ramadan.

 

"There are many things that can be done so that we will be sensitive to the observance of Ramadan like what is being done by the Joint Task Force Thunder that all operations are intelligence driven," Dolorfino said.

 

He said the intelligence operation has been intensified to make the ground forces pick specific targets.

 

Military officials stressed they will not allow the Abu Sayyaf and their Jemaah Islamiyah cohorts to take advantage of the period of Ramadan to consolidate their forces while millions of Muslim Filipinos are joining the Islam world in fasting.

 

Troops have also launched pursuit operations against the separate faction of the Abu Sayyaf and JI bombers Dulmatin and Umar Patek in Sulu.

 

The military said they continue to receive information that Dulmatin and Patek - tagged as key suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia – are still holed out with the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.

 

Magdalo soldier seeks court pass to visit newborn

 

Thursday, September 20, 2007 A renegade military officer has become a father while in detention at Fort Bonifacio, and the wife of another jailed officer is set to give birth this month.

 

Marine Capt. Gary Alejano asked for a one-week pass for him to be able to visit his newborn daughter, Maxine Gail at their home in Barangay San Nicolas in Bamban town, Tarlac.

 

Born on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the failed Oakwood mutiny, Maxine is the third child of Alejano.

 

Alejano’s wife gave birth to twin daughters three months after he was detained at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) shortly after the military uprising on July 27, 2003.

 

Second Lt. Larry Cendaña also asked for a leave to be with his wife, who is set to give birth at month's end.

 

Lead military prosecutor Col. Pedro Herrera-Davila told the court- martial at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday that the requests of the two officers have been approved by Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

 

The wives of Air Force 1Lt. Billy Pascua and Navy Lt. James Layug also gave birth while they were in detention.

 

The detained military officers are allowed to have conjugal visits, according to AFP public information chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro.

 

During the last hearing on Aug. 22, the general court-martial promulgated the verdict on 12 military officers who pleaded guilty to violation of Article of War 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman).

 

Two alleged ringleaders of the failed military uprising, Army Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo and 10 others have been dishonorably discharged from military service.

 

Thirty military officers are still facing court-martial for their alleged involvement in the Oakwood mutiny.

 

Among them are Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy lieutenant senior grade, and Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon– James Mananghaya

 

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