‘Pinoy diver may have joined Sayyaf’

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A Filipino dive master, the only remaining captive from the 21 mostly foreign hostages seized by the Abu Sayyaf from the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan, may have joined the extremist group, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said yesterday.

Tan said he has received reports that the Abu Sayyaf has given Roland Ullah his freedom, but he refused to go.

"He might be experiencing the Stockholm syndrome," Tan said, referring to a condition where the captive sympathizes with his captors because of indoctrination.

Maj. Gen. Narciso Abaya, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and Task Force Trident, said this complicates their efforts to rescue Ullah as well as American Jeffrey Craig Edward Schilling.

Earlier reports said Schilling, 24, a native of Oakland, California, USA, was helping the Abu Sayyaf in gun smuggling activities. He was taken hostage while visiting the group’s camp in Patikul, Sulu last Aug. 28.

"The rescue of these two hostages are a little difficult because of the questionable circumstances," Abaya said.

He said Ullah reportedly manages to roam around without any Abu Sayyaf guard.

Sulu officials urged the military not to let up in its offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, noting that crimes in the province have decreased and loose firearms have been reduced because of the crackdown.

Abaya said the extremist group now has only 100 fighters, mostly hard-line-followers of Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, Mujib Susukan, Abu Sabaya and Khadafy Janjalani.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said 15 more Abu Sayyaf members surrendered in Jolo, Sulu last Monday, bringing to 226 the total number of its members who have turned themselves in since the military launched its offensive last Sept. 16.

The 15 rebels surrendered to Task Group Bravo of the Joint Task Force Trident, which is in charge of the crackdown. They yielded one M-16 and three Garand rifles.