The apology comes after Sulu officials complained that they were kept in the dark on the release of two German hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf Group
'SORRY.' Military chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr meets with Sulu officials led by Governor Abdusakur Tan II on October 24, 2014. Photo from Sulu Capitol
Armed Forces chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr flew back to Sulu on
Friday, October 24, to personally apologize to Sulu officials and stakeholders
for not coordinating with them on the release of two German hostages of the Abu
Sayyaf Group (ASG) the previous week.
Catapang personally apologized to officials led by Governor Abdusakur Tan
II for what the AFP chief called a "misunderstanding," said military spokesperson
Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc.
"We would
like to apologize to the people of Sulu for any shortcomings during the law
enforcement operations in pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf Group to retrieve German
and other hostages in their custody," a statement from the Sulu Capitol
quoted Catapang as telling the officials.
Catapang also vowed improved military coordination with the local
government unit as the troops in Sulu launch a full scale combat
rescue mission to
save at least 10 more remaining Abu Sayyaf hostages.
It was the
"fog of war," said Cabunoc, explaining the oversight. The military
supposedly forgot to inform the governor about the release of the hostages, in
their rush to transport one of the hostages to Zamboanga City
Apology
accepted
The Sulu governor accepted Catapang's apology and praised him for his
humility, added the statement of the Sulu provincial government. The governor
noted that it's the first time that an AFP chief ever apologized to the people
of Sulu.
"Umaasa
kami na magiging maganda na ang sitwasyon sa mga darating na panahon (We
are expecting the situation to get better in the future)," the
Sulu statement quoted Tan.
After 6 months in
captivity, Germans Viktor Okonek and partner Henrike
Dielen were released on October 17. The military first brought them to the
hospital inside the military headquarters in Jolo before a naval vessel
transported them to the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) in Zamboanga City Manila
The Sulu governor
said they only learned about the release through the media. The Special Action
Committee (SAC) created to oversee law enforcement operations for the release
of the German hostages was supposedly bypassed.
The Abu Sayyaf
claimed that a P250-million ransom was paid to secure the release of the
Germans. Denying knowledge about the ransom, the military claimed that the
pressure exerted by its troops had forced the Abu Sayyaf to release the
hostages.
During the
meeting on Friday, both Catapang and Tan denied knowledge about the ransom
payment, according to Cabunoc.
The governor's
father, Vice Governor Abdusakur, government officials, civil society, and
religious groups were present at the meeting. Catapang brought with him the
Westmincom chief and the military commanders in Sulu including island commander
Colonel Allan Arrojado.
Catapang told
them he wants to change the image of Sulu and "erase the stigma of
kidnapping."
Telenovela?
The Sulu
provincial government and civil society organizations met on Monday, October
20, to discuss their disappointment with the military's handling of the release
of hostages. One of the attendees even called for the pullout of troops in the
province.
"We were not
informed that the hostages were already rescued, it was only through media
reports that we became aware that they were already rescued Friday night and in
the custody of the Armed Forces," read the statement of the governor.
The statement
quoted an unnamed member of the academe say that "the use of Sulu citizens
for their own telenovela must be put to a stop."
Arrojado and the
battalion commanders met with the governor on October 22 and promised better
coordination.
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