Philippine Military Fire Howitzers On Sulu Mountains As Abu Sayyaf Hostage Crisis Drags On

Government soldiers pass by a village in the southern Philippine island of Sulu on Saturday, June 14, 2008. President Gloria Arroyo ordered the police and military to recover a multi-awarded television reporter Ces Drilon and her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion, including a university professor Octavio Dinampo who were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf on June 8 while on their way to interview a senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron in Sulu's Maimbung town. One cameraman Angelo Valderama was freed June 12 after negotiators paid "board and lodging fees" to the militants to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya. The gang demanded as much as P50 million ransoms for the hostages. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 15, 2008) – Philippine security forces fired about a dozen rounds of cannons toward the hinterlands of Sulu island as truckloads of soldiers were spotted at dawn Sunday leaving a military base in Jolo town.

It was unknown if the attacks targeted Abu Sayyaf members holding three people hostage or another faction of the militant group whom Philippine authorities say has links to both the al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, blamed for the spate of terrorism in the southern Philippines.

The firing began at around 3 a.m. and the sound of the loud explosions from Howitzer cannons can be heard from as far as Jolo, Patikul and Indanan towns.

Military officials in the southern Philippines have imposed a news blackout on the crisis, although some of them only speak to selected journalists. And this had forced some reporters to rely on unconfirmed information which is adding up to the confusion in the hostage crisis.

It was unknown if the firing was a prelude to rescue the hostages, but President Gloria Arroyo has ordered police and military forces to get back all the hostages. More soldiers arrived Sunday in Sulu on board the Philippine Navy ship BRP Bacolod City.

Militants are holding a kidnapped ABS-CBN television reporter Ces Drilon and her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and a university professor Octavio Dinampo who were kidnapped June 8 in Maimbung town while on their way to secretly meet with a senior Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, who has sent surrender feelers to authorities to lure journalists in Sulu.

Sahiron, a notorious terror man, is included on the most wanted lists both of the Philippines and the United States because of killings and kidnappings of foreigners and Filipinos. He is said to be the top leader of the group holding the hostages.

One cameraman Angelo Valderama was freed June 12 after negotiators headed by Indanan town Mayor Isnaji Alvarez paid several hundred thousands of pesos to the kidnappers.

The Abu Sayyaf selected Isnaji to negotiate for the release of the hostages. The kidnappers were demanding as much as P50 million for the release of all the victims, but ABS-CBN said it will not pay ransom to the gang. Manila also said it will not pay ransom to secure the release of the hostages.

And more militants have reportedly joined the Abu Sayyaf group that is holding the hostages because of ransom. It said the number of the Abu Sayyaf is expected to increase as negotiations for the release of the hostages drag on.

Authorities fear that any ransom paid to the Abu Sayyaf could be used to purchase weapons and fund terrorism in the southern Philippines, where security forces are also battling Muslim and communist separatist rebels the past four decades.
Alvarez admitted to have paid a few hundred thousand pesos to the kidnappers with some of the money coming from Sulu Deputy Gov. Nur Ana Sahidulla. He said the money was for "board and lodging" of Valderama.

Sahidulla is helping Alvarez secure the freedom of the remaining hostages. She appealed to the kidnappers to free Drilon's group. Gov. Sakur Tan, head of the local crisis management committee, and families of the hostages, including the ABS-CBN, have earlier made a similar appeal.

Alvarez said the kidnappers were also negotiating directly with Drilon's family, but he did not give details of the progress of the talks.

He also said the firing of the canons could endanger the lives of the hostages. “This is dangerous. The military is putting the lives of the victims in danger,” he told reporters.

Alvarez said the kidnappers were also alarmed by US spy plane flying over Sulu since Saturday. “They are alarmed by this spy plane which is probably on a reconnaissance mission,” he said.

He said the kidnappers were getting restless over the failure of Drilon’s family to resolve the crisis. He said the captors gave an ultimatum until Tuesday for the victims’ families to secure the release of the hostages.

“We don’t know what they are up to and what they are asking from the family of Drilon, but they gave me an ultimatum until Tuesday to resolve this problem. The kidnappers wanted the family of Drilon to comply with their agreement,” Alvarez said without elaborating further.

Alvarez said he spoke to Drilon after her captors contacted him on his cell phone thrice on Saturday – one at 1.30 p.m. and then it was followed at 5 p.m. and the last at 9 p.m. – and the hostage appealed anew to fast track the negotiations for their release.

“Ces Drilon keeps on telling me to fast track the talks so they can come out safely,” Alvarez said, adding, Drilon’s family must closely coordinate with him in their negotiations. “I need to know what the family of Drilon promised to the kidnappers. All negotiations should pass through me,” he said.

Washington listed the Abu Sayyaf as a foreign terrorist organization and has offered rewards of up to $5 million for the capture of its known leaders. US troops are deployed in Sulu province since 2006 and assisting the Philippine military defeats the Abu Sayyaf. (Mindanao Examiner)