Sayyaf member nabbed

Police arrested yesterday in Sampaloc, Manila a ranking member of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group who carried a P1-million bounty on his head.

This developed as the government allayed fears of a terrorist attack in the country, saying the only threat to national security is the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) that operated mainly in Mindanao.

"Our principal problem is the ASG and this is being attended to by the government," National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said.

He said the ASG has been placed under control following the military’s all-out offensive in Sulu and Basilan islands.

Director Thompson Lantion, police community relations chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), shared the views of Golez.

Golez revealed that so far, the troops have captured 150 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas and killed 40 others.

Among those captured recently was a senior communications officer of the rebels who styled themselves as freedom fighters struggling for an independent Islamic state in Mindanao.

Golez also said the military is set to announce the capture of another ranking Abu Sayyaf leader who is a brother of a still unidentified top government official.

"There is no serious threat to us, but we are enforcing measures to secure public and private installations," Golez said.

For his part, Lantion said there was at the moment no serious threat to national security.

Lantion assured the people, however, that the police and the military remained on alert, and have secured public and private installations.

On the possibility that international terrorists may seek refuge in the Philippines to elude a US-led campaign, Lantion said local authorities were prepared to prevent them from entering the country.

"We will not allow them (terrorists) to have sanctuary in the country. We will do everything for this purpose," Lantion said.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said despite the country’s stable security, the military and the police remained on high alert since the Abu Sayyaf raid on May 27 at the posh Dos Palmas is;amd resort off Palawan in which 20 local and foreign guests, along with a handful of resort workers, were snatched and taken by boat to Basilan.

Tiglao deplored Tokyo’s issuance of a travel advisory warning Japanese nationals from traveling to the Philippines.

Tiglao said the advisory apparently stemmed from reports that Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden, a prime suspect in last week’s devastating terrorist attacks in the United States, maintained terrorist cells in the Philippines.

But authorities have clarified that such cells no longer exist.

However, Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon, PNP chief for Central Visayas, believed that at least three or four cells of Bin Laden continued to operate in the country.

Military intelligence reports tended to confirm Razon’s observations, as Bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, has set up 12 non-government organizations in Mindanao purportedly to help indigenous Muslims.

Sources in the intelligence community said these organizations actively supported the Abu Sayyaf terrorist activities, while at the same time were being used by Bin Laden to promote Islamic extremism.

The sources also said most of the original members of the Abu Sayyaf were closely associated with Bin Laden, or have fought with him in the Afghan War.

Sayyaf leader with P1-M bounty nabbed in Manila

Agents of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) arrested on Tuesday suspected Abu Sayyaf leader Mohammad Faizal Ijajili Dompal, alias Faizal Abbas, who carried a P1-million prize on his head.

Dompal was reportedly cornered by NCRPO agents in his safehouse on Earnshaw street in Sampaloc.

The raid was conducted on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Danilo Bacoy of the Basilan Regional Trial Court.

Confiscated from the suspect was a backpack containing a handgun and important documents.

Dompal was remanded to the custody of the Army for tactical interrogation.

A source in the intelligence community said Dompal came to Manila on a mission to conduct surveillance operations on specific targets.

Prior to Dompal’s arrest, the military also apprehended Jimmy Theng and Nadzmie Sabdullah, political strategist and intelligence officer, respectively, of the Abu Sayyaf. They both carried P1-million bounties on their heads.

Theng has reportedly admitted that the Abu Sayyaf received financial aid from Bin Laden.

AFP sees collapse of Sulu-based Abu

The military predicted yesterday the impending collapse of the Abu Sayyaf faction based in Sulu following a series of surrender of its members and squables among its leaders.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jose Mabanta said a total fo 82 Abu Sayyaf leaders and members have turned themselves in while 61 others were captured since the military launched an all-out offensive in the province on July 10.

The surrenderees also yielded 54 M-16 rifles, two M-14 rifles, and one FAL 7.62 machine gun.

"Some of the (Abu Sayyaf) members who surrendered admitted involvement in drug trafficking, while others engaged in kidnapping and extortion activities," Mabanta said.

"Local Muslim leaders in the area who have gotten sick and tired of the terrorist group’s inhuman acts helped tremendously in reaching this significant development," Mabanta added.

The Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf was headed by Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot , which gained notoriety after staging a raid on the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in Borneo in April last year. The bandits rounded up 20 European, Malaysian and Filipino hostages who were eventually released in batches following payments of huge amounts of ransom.

The Army also vowed to hit the Abu Sayyaf faction in Basilan headed by Khadaffy Janjalani which currently holds 18 hostages, including two American missionaries who were abducted in Palawan.

Coll Hermogenes Esperon, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade and Task Group Tornado carrying out the all-out offensive in the island, said at least five battalions of soldiers were moving into the central area of Sampinit complex where the hostage-takers were believed holed out.

The troops have stepped up their campaign on orders of Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu.

Esperon said the Abu Sayyaf strength in Basilan has been substantially reduced as a result of the military relentless offensive. — Marichu Villanueva, Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez, Non Alquitran. Paolo Romero, Roel Pareño