Sayyaf leader Sabaya sends surrender feelers to military

Apparently tired of running from pursuing troops, Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya has sent notice that he and his men want to surrender and hand over their hostages, the military said yesterday.

Meanwhile, soldiers reportedly killed at least nine Abu Sayyaf gunmen, two of them commanders with a P1-million and P150,000 bounty on their head, during a clash yesterday in the hinterland barangay of Bakod in the capital city of Isabela.

Col. Hermogenes Esperon, commander of the troops running after the Abu Sayyaf terrorists in Basilan, said Sabaya has sent surrender feelers and wants to negotiate.

"The Abu Sayyaf is now on the run. They are like rats running away from predators," Esperon said.

He said Sabaya sent a letter asking for negotiations and a halt to the military offensive.

Esperon ruled out any compromise with Sabaya, saying the projected surrender must be without conditions, otherwise, the troops will continue to hunt them down.

Sabaya has said his unit holds American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kansas and eight coconut farmers seized on the island.

Sabaya was also blamed for the reported beheading of American Guillermo Sobero of Corona, California as a warning to government forces hot on the Abu Sayyaf trail.

The Burnhams and Sobero, along with over a dozen Filipinos, were snatched from the upscale resort of Dos Palmas in Palawan last May 27 by Abu Sayyaf gunmen headed by Sabaya and their chieftain, Khadaffy Janjalani.

The captives were taken by boat across a wide sea span to Basilan where some of them, including Sobero, were executed. The others were freed amid rumors of ransom payments.

The coconut farmers were later seized in Basilan allegedly to be used as forced labor by the bandits.

‘The Abu Sayyaf, who have acknowledged links with international terrorist Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, style themselves as freedom fighters struggling for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao.

"Initial reports said at least five were killed, but the death toll could be higher because radio intercepts indicated more gunmen were wounded in the fighting," said Col. Roland Detabali said.

The soldiers recovered rifles and backpacks left behind by the retreating bandits.

Four other Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed Wednesday when troops raided their hideout in a remote village near Lantawan town, one of several municipalities attacked by the terrorists this year.

Esperon, chief of Task Force Thunder, identified the slain Abu Sayyaf leaders as Ali Malabon and Jaafar Aifa.

The latest encounter came after 23 American military experts wrapped up a visit to nearby Zamboanga City to assess and advise the Philippine military in their fight against the Abu Sayyaf.

Troops have been tracking down the bandits for six months now, with orders from President Arroyo to demolish them once and for all.

The United States government has placed the Abu Sayyaf on its list of global terrorist groups, saying it posed a threat to American interests.

Another Muslim kidnap group called the "Pentagon" is holding captive Italian missionary Fr. Giuseppi Pierantoni who was seized last week in Dimataling town in Zamboanga del Sur.

AFP aims to crush Abu by December

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is doing all it can to crush the Abu Sayyaf by December, the deadline set by Malacañang.

However, AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling admitted that it might take another year for them to accomplish their mission.

"Hopefully, by December, threats by the Abu Sayyaf will be greatly diminished, but not totally wiped out," Camiling said.

He also said the American experts came here to assess how a company of Filipino soldiers they trained in anti-terrorist warfare was performing in actual combat.

"The Americans were impressed about the leadership of the AFP, particularly the performance of our squads. Given the limited resources, the AFP is fighting very well in Basilan," Camiling said.

He also said the US did not signify to join their Filipino counterparts on the fight against the Abu Sayyaf, which has confirmed links with the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, led by Bin Laden.

Camiling said the US team got a more comprehensive view of the reality that the Philippines does not have enough technology and equipment to fight terrorism.

He said the problem about lack of equipment blocks efforts to crush the Abu Sayyaf.

The training took place during a recent joint military exercise at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province.

"They (Americans) never interfered in our operations in Basilan. They just wanted to see the performance of soldiers they trained on warfare against terrorism during the RP-US Balikatan Exercise," Camiling said.

The experts also vowed to send in much-needed logistical support to the AFP to enhance its capability against the Abu Sayyaf bandits. – With reports from Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez