US tests confirm Sobero is dead

The skeletal remains found in the wilderness of Basilan last week belong to Guillermo Sobero.

This was confirmed by the US Embassy yesterday, putting a macabre end to the months-long search for one of three American captives kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf extremist group from an upscale resort in Palawan last May 27.

"The results of forensic tests by the US Army Central Identification Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii confirmed that the remains recovered on Basilan (island) by Philippine military authorities last week are those of Mr. Sobero," a US Embassy statement said.

In strongly condemning Sobero’s killing, President Arroyo said: "That just goes to show how terrible terrorism is. And because we have been victims of terrorism here in the Philippines, Americans in the Philippines and Filipinos in America really should participate in this global coalition against terrorism."

Sobero, a resident of Corona, California with roots in Peru, was abducted May 27 from the Dos Palmas beach resort in Palawan with compatriots Martin and Gracia Burnham and 17 Filipinos by the Abu Sayyaf, which is suspected to have links with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

The Burnhams, a Christian missionary couple from Wichita, Kansas, are still being held in Basilan, along with about a dozen Filipinos, dragged by their captors through dizzying jungle routes to evade pursuing government soldiers.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the government’s policy remains firm not to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf despite appeals from the Burnham family for talks to ensure the freedom of the American missionary couple.

"Our lines are open if the Abu Sayyaf terrorists are going to talk about the release of the Burnhams," he said. "But our lines are closed if the negotiation would include any concession or any condition."

The US Embassy said yesterday Sobero’s murder was "a despicable act of violence," and expressed its "deepest condolences" to the dead man’s family.

"The United States strongly condemns this act of terrorism by the Abu Sayyaf group against an American citizen hostage," said an embassy statement. "We hold the terrorists responsible. The US government continues to support the efforts of the Philippine government to end this hostage situation."

On June 12, Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya told local radio that his men beheaded Sobero as an "Independence Day gift" to President Arroyo and a warning to the military to call off its offensive on guerrilla hideouts.

On Monday, US officials flew to Zamboanga City and took a set of leg bones and a skull with a missing jaw from military intelligence officials. The remains were brought to Manila for tests.

Captured bandits who claimed they witnessed Sobero’s beheading led soldiers a week ago to a shallow grave in the mountains of Basilan, long an Abu Sayyaf stronghold. The skull was found several meters away.

In a press briefing, Foreign Affairs spokesman Victoriano Lecaros sent the department’s condolences to the Soberos. "We can condole with the family of Mr. Sobero that they lost a loved one through this manner," he said.

He stressed the execution of Sobero was a signal to put an end to terrorist acts on Philippine soil by supporting the efforts undertaken by Mrs. Arroyo and the authorities.

The rebels claim to be fighting for Islamic independence in the southern region of Mindanao, but the government dismisses them as bandits who thrive on kidnapping.

The group hit the headlines last year by kidnapping several foreigners from the Malaysian resort island of Sipadan and reportedly negotiating huge ransoms.

More than 7,000 soldiers have been hunting the Abu Sayyaf for months.

Last Sunday, troops stumbled on the main Abu Sayyaf group in the hilly western outskirts of the provincial capitol of Isabela, setting off a clash that killed 21 guerrillas, the military said.

US soldiers are scheduled to arrive in coming weeks to help train Filipino troops to better fight the Abu Sayyaf. — With Marichu Villanueva