No safe conduct pass, no amnesty, no ‘Robot’

No safe-conduct pass, no surrender.

The planned surrender of Abu Sayyaf leader Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, appeared to have fizzled out over an impasse on the grant of a safe-conduct pass if ever he emerges from hiding.

"Robot will not get a safe-conduct pass," President Arroyo said yesterday at Malacañang.

Outgoing Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, who is negotiating for Andang’s surrender, said that without the safety guarantee, the Abu Sayyaf leader would not turn himself in.

Malacañang has also dissociated itself from Singson on the surrender issue, indicating the governor was acting on his own.

"He is not a representative of the government. If he is a friend of Robot, or they have a common friend, the government has nothing to do with that," the President told reporters at Malacañang.

Mrs. Arroyo said the government may grant safe-conduct passes only for the emissaries and the people who would escort Andang and 17 of his followers for the mass surrender, but not to Andang himself.

The government has also rejected the grant of amnesty for Andang in exchange for his surrender.

Quoting Singson, Mrs. Arroyo clarified that it was Andang’s emissary who was asking for a safe-conduct pass to give him untrammeled access to the Abu Sayyaf lair.

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan quoted Lt. Gen. Gregorio Camiling, commander of the Southern Command, as saying the military would only grant Andang and his men safe passage from the rebels’ camp in Talipao town to the headquarters of the Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade at Camp Gen. Teodolfo Bautista in Busbus town.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Leandro Mendoza also said amnesty for Andang is out of the question. "As far as the government is concerned, I don’t think we can give him amnesty," he said.

"Commander Robot must answer all charges against him," Adan said.

"There will be many repercussions for us and the country if Commander Robot is let off lightly."

Adan said the safe-conduct pass for Andang, who carries a P5-million reward for his head, was necessary to ensure his safety.

"If he leaves his camp without escort, he might be intercepted by operating police and military units, or rival factions within the bandit group."

"If Robot suddenly surfaces, then somebody will receive the bounty. If Chavit does not take it, then whoever introduced them to each other will get it," Adan said it was already common knowledge that Andang earned hundreds of millions of pesos in ransom from the Sipadan kidnappings, and might use his wealth to buy his freedom.

"We know that Robot benefited from kidnappings. He might want to enjoy his money and might use that to fund his court battles," Adan said.

Asked why the soldiers cannot just arrest Andang, Adan said they still have to pinpoint the bandits’ lair.

Singson confirmed earlier reports that Andang wanted to turn a new leaf in life upon the prodding of the family of his third wife, 35-year-old Marimar Matlih.

Lawyer Oliver Lozano, Andang’s legal counsel, said Marimar’s father, Jul Kanain Matlih, told Andang he would consider the dowry paid if the rebel leader would give himself up.

"Robot’s father-in-law requested him to surrender to the government as a form of gift to their family for marrying Matlih’s daughter," Lozano said over a local radio.

Andang and Marimar reportedly met and fell in love when she volunteered for a medical mission to the Abu Sayyaf jungle hideout to treat 21 mostly foreign hostages seized from the Malaysian dive resort of Sipadan in Borneo last year.

Singson told The STAR Andang has dropped the grant of amnesty as a precondition for his surrender, and was willing to face trial for his crimes, notably several counts of kidnapping for ransom which is a capital offense and punishable with death.

At the same time, Singson clarified there were no talks about sharing of the loot taken from the Sipadan kidnappings.

"We only talked about the possible mechanics of his surrender," Singson said.

Asked why Andang chose him as the mediator for the surrender, Singson said he did not know, adding there were no previous encounters between him and the rebel leader.

He belied reports that Andang and his men have been sighted in Ilocos Sur, apparently in preparation for their surrender.

The governor said Andang has remained in Jolo, and that he was still awaiting word from the rebel leader’s emissary.

Singson, whose accusations of massive corruption led to President Estrada’s downfall last January, flew to Zamboanga City last week to meet with Andang’s emissary whom he described as a Muslim professor.

He said Andang and 17 of his men would surrender if assured of a fair treatment.

The governor also quoted Andang as saying his group had nothing to do with the Dos Palmas raid last May 27. - Marichu Villanueva, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez