Talks with Abus impossible, says anti-terror official

MANILA, Philippines - Peace talks between the Duterte administration and the bandit group Abu Sayyaf will not happen anytime soon, a security official said yesterday.

“That is impossible. These Abu Sayyaf bandits are fanatics,” the official, who requested anonymity, said.

Aside from being Muslim extremists, the official believes that the Abu Sayyaf cannot be easily swayed by promises.

He said the terrorist group had been enjoying the “fruits of their kidnapping-for-ransom activities and they could not turn away from this at the snap of a finger.”

The official added that leaders of the Abu Sayyaf could not be easily persuaded to enter into negotiations with the government without substantial financial support.

 “Entering into talks with the Abu Sayyaf also violates the government’s no-compromise policy with terrorists,” he said.

Meanwhile, the military has expressed its support for President Duterte’s appeal to the Abu Sayyaf to abandon their lawlessness and talk to him directly.

“We support the President’s call. We understand that members of the Abu Sayyaf are victims of circumstances and lack of opportunities,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.

Duterte had earlier vowed to destroy the Abu Sayyaf.

A few months ago, the President said there could be no peaceful solution in dealing with the extremist group.

Joint military exercises

The planned joint military exercises by the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia in Mindanao could result in the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said yesterday.

Villafuerte, vice chairman of the House committee on defense, said the exercises would “better protect our country from homegrown terrorism and piracy as well as lead to improved trade and commerce in a vital sea lane where more than 100,000 vessels pass every year.”

“This planned common defense front is crucial to the Duterte administration because neutralizing Abu Sayyaf terrorists and protecting the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea from pirates will go a long way in addressing the peace and order problems that have hampered the growth and development of Mindanao despite its vast potentials,” he said.

“On top of being a defense initiative, the joint military training agreed upon by the Philippines with Indonesia and Malaysia would also be a big help in facilitating the movement of international navigation, trade and commerce in the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea, which has received relatively little attention compared to other more prominent maritime interests in the region,” Villafuerte added.

He noted that the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea facilitates the cross-border movement of some 18 million people as well as the passage of more than 100,000 ships carrying 55 million metric tons of cargo each year, based on estimates made by the Indonesian foreign ministry. 

“This is a vital sea lane that needs to be protected from pirates and terrorists. We hope this planned defense cooperation among the three countries would continue so that the joint patrols and training would extend to countering other crimes such as drug trafficking and human smuggling,” Villafuerte said. 

The planned exercises are set to begin in January 2017.

Villafuerte said the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia aim to form a special task force whose primary goal is to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf, which was responsible for a series of recent kidnappings in Sulu.