Former marine general blames gov't over Abu Sayyaf resurgence

From ABS-CBN (Jun 21): Former marine general blames gov't over Abu Sayyaf resurgence

These are the faces of the men who once spread terror in the jungles of Mindanao, extending throughout Southeast Asia.

They were the leaders of terror groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah.

The list included Indonesian Dulmatin, one of the masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombings, also once believed to have sought refuge in the Philippines.

Then there was Abu Solaiman, suspected mastermind of the 2004 Superferry bombing, also the one who beheaded American national Guillermo Sobero, and who abducted Martin and Gracia Burnham.
And there was Khaddafy Janjalani, then the highest leader of the Abu Sayyaf.

Faces with red X’s mean they have either been killed or captured by government forces.

Retired Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban proudly said that most of these X’s can be credited to the men he once commanded in Sulu and Basilan; and also, for the large part, because of the people-centered strategy they took.

"Unang-una kasing strategy namin is to get the people on our side. Sa umaga, nandun kami, para kaming mga doctor, mga engineers, nagka-karpintero. Pero sa gabi, nandun kami sa kabundukan, at hinahanap namin yung mga Abu Sayyaf. Nagsusumbong sa amin yung mga tao. That is because may kumpiyansa sila sa amin,” he said.

Sabban was the commander of the Third Marine Brigade when the unit killed Janjalani in 2006.

He was commandant of the Philippine Marines, when the marines killed sub-leader Albader Parad, also in Sulu, in 2010.

He was also once the commander of Task Force Comet, the combined unit tasked to secure the entire province of Sulu.

Before this, he commanded Task Force Thunder, also against the Abu Sayyaf, but that time in Basilan.

Sabban recalled that when he left Mindanao in 2010, no more hostages remained in the captivity and there were only a handful of Abu Sayyaf leaders left to neutralize, like Radulan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon.

The retired general lamented that the continued existence of the Abu Sayyaf as a threat group and the resurgence of kidnapping for ransom as a cottage industry of sorts is a result of the local populace choosing to support terrorists instead of government forces.

This, he said, is the military and the government's own doing.

"For the past 6 years, wala silang nakuhang high-value target. Nagpasabog ka ng mga isanlibong bala ng kanyon, wala ka namang tinamaan. Baka sakali tinamaan mo pa mga civilian communities.

Lalong dadami yung kalaban mo diyan. Ang nangyayari kasi, ang tingin nila sa military, sa government forces, invaders na; hindi na sila yung protector at saka partner ng mga tao," Sabban said.

But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) denied this.

Their records reveal that nine sub-leaders of the Abu Sayyaf have been either killed or arrested since the start of the Aquino administration.

Colonel Noel Detoyato, Public Affairs Chief of the AFP admitted there were indeed more community projects during Sabban's time because the budget for community relations at the moment is limited, and that military forces in Sulu previously enjoyed the assistance of the U.S. Armed Forces.

But Detoyato explained that the local landscape has changed too, making it more difficult for the AFP to win the people over.

He said the local community is now getting a share of the large amounts of ransom money being paid.

"Yung pagre-receive nila ng ransom, ay ipinagmayabang pa nila; pinost pa nila, 'di ba? Nakaka-receive tayo ng impormasyon, na 'kaya wala kayong makukuhang impormasyon diyan,' sinasabi sa amin, 'kasi mga tao diyan ay naka-parte na',” he said.

Detoyato said AFP is now giving more attention to activities for the community.

Sabban meanwhile,thinks it's time for the next administration to consider forming a task force under which all agencies of government will work together to first eradicate poverty in Sulu.

Sabban believes this will be the only way to convince people to completely shun the practice of kidnapping for ransom and to abandon the doctrine of the Abu Sayyaf.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/world/06/25/16/somali-islamist-militants-attack-hotel-in-mogadishu