‘Crushing Sayyaf a big challenge’

MANILA, Philippines - The military yesterday admitted crushing the Abu Sayyaf is “a big challenge” that soldiers cannot accomplish alone.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said it would take more than just military action to solve the problem posed by the bandit group, which government forces have been trying to wipe out for more than a decade.

“It is a big challenge. The problem is not only about killing those bandits but addressing the root causes of the problem, why some people prefer to take up arms and use violence and why some of them use criminal activities as an income generating activity,” Cabunoc said.

“We believe the military solution alone could not address the problem,” he added.

Cabunoc said other agencies have a role in addressing the threat.

“For example, why are they (Abu Sayyaf members) radicalized? Someone has to address radicalization. Why are they lacking income opportunities? Someone has to address that. There are many reasons why they chose to be bandits,” he said.

Lack of human intelligence

A senior military official said fighting the Abu Sayyaf remains an uphill battle, citing the lack of human intelligence to monitor the movements of the bandit group.

“We’ve been saying all along that we are going after and fighting the Abu Sayyaf militants. But do we really have all the identity of each and every member of the bandit group? We have not,” the official said.

The official said only a handful of the Abu Sayyaf are still alive but are old enough to fight soldiers.

The same official, who asked not be named due to his sensitive position, said that field commanders must first establish a very good and effective human intelligence network for the purpose of identifying each and every member of the bandit group, for the troops to have focused operations and to avoid any collateral damage.

“When you’re fighting a certain group without having their identities, there is always a big chance for collateral damage. And if civilians are killed, we are not solving the problem but further complicating it,” he said.

2 brigades deployed

In Sulu, the AFP has deployed two brigades to go after the Abu Sayyaf following the series of kidnap for ransom activities, not only in the province but also in Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan and the waters near Sabah.

“How sure are we that those behind the abduction of German couple Stefan Viktor Okonek and wife Henrike Dielen in Palawan were Abu Sayyaf? What if the group is just riding high on the Abu Sayyaf’s notoriety?” the official asked, pointing out that kidnap for ransom activities have become a “cottage industry” in Basilan and Sulu.

Records show the Abu Sayyaf group has been largely decimated since 10 years ago following its creation in 1991 by slain founder Abdurajak Janjalani.

Aside from political warlords, criminal and lawless groups are now operating in Sulu and Basilan who, the official said, have been tagged as Abu Sayyaf.

“Unless we have identified our targets individually, the cycle of violence in Basilan and Sulu will continue,” the official said, referring to ongoing full-scale law enforcement operations being launched by security forces in Sulu.

‘Remove support base’

Magdalo party-list Rep. Ashley Acedillo warned against an all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf, saying the bandit group cannot be wiped out by military force alone.

“Why am I against an all-out war? As with any government effort, to conduct massive all-out military operations, our civilians are always at the losing end,” said Acedillo, a former Air Force officer.

“It’s not just a matter of pouring more troops, more tanks, more helicopters and more canons into Basilan,” he said.

Acedillo said the campaign to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf should include to a great extent winning the hearts and minds of the local community to remove the support base and sanctuary of the bandit group.

This includes providing for the basic needs and livelihood of the affected communities, he said.

Acedillo said focused military operations should be waged on confirmed presence of Abu Sayyaf gunmen in an area, as these do not require large military units and reduce the displacement of families.

“That (displacement of families) happens when large numbers of troops operate in an area,” Acedillo said. – With Jaime Laude, Paolo Romero