Davao resort raided; 2 dead, 2 taken hostage

DAVAO CITY — Gunmen firing grenade launchers raided a tourist resort in Davao del Sur Tuesday night, killing two people, wounding three others and snatching two other Filipino hostages, police said.

Police said they have not identified the group which carried out the attack on Pearl Farm resort on Samal island, but they were looking into the possibility that Muslim separatist rebels might be involved.

President Arroyo expressed concern that the attack on the high-profile resort might have a possible fallout on investment and tourism.

"She is very concerned about it, and even last night she was monitoring it," Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said.

Mrs. Arroyo "emphasized to the police and the military that there should be pursuit operations to make sure that the culprits are captured," Tiglao said.

"It’s really bad for our investors, for our tourism image if a well-known resort will be raided," Tiglao said.

Military authorities said there is a possibility that the armed men belong either to the Abu Sayyaf or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"But it is still premature to conclude that," Capt. Michael John Dubria told reporters.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen gained international attention last year when they seized more than 40 foreigners and Filipinos from two nearby Malaysian islands and from Sulu island.

All of those hostages were either released after payment of large ransoms, rescued by soldiers or escaped, except for Filipino dive master Roland Ullah who is still in Abu Sayyaf’s hands.

Intensified military pursuit of the group has triggered sporadic clashes around Sulu in recent weeks.

The MILF is the main rebel group fighting for an Islamic state in Mindanao. It has agreed to hold peace talks with the government to end its decades-old rebellion.

The eight attackers involved in Tuesday’s raid fled on two motorboats to a nearby island after a gunbattle with a lone security guard at the Floirendo-owned Pearl Farm, which is known for its white sand and is popular with foreign and local tourists.

Dubria said the raiders had apparently intended to steal two speedboats on the shore but were foiled by the guard, Jimmy Colam, who exchanged shots with them before he was mortally wounded.

Another resort worker, mechanic Rolando Jara, also died in the shootout.

The identities of the three wounded and the two seized crewmen of the motorboats the armed men had commandeered were not immediately available.

Two of the resort’s speedboats were damaged by the rifle grenades the gunmen fired.

Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Southern Command, said the police and the military were tracking down the attackers. — With Reuters, Roel Pareño and Marichu Villanueva