Breakthrough with arrest of militants

From the New Straits Times (Oct 13): Breakthrough with arrest of militants (By Noel Tarrazona)

THE recent arrest of one of the leaders of the Abu Sayyaf group involved in the kidnapping of 21 European tourists in Pulau Sipadan, Sabah, in 2000 will be a key victory for the Philippine government, particularly in deterring future kidnappings.

Abdul Latip Talanghati, who has a US$110,000 (RM440,000) reward on his head, was arrested along with his companion, Albashrie Talanghati, in St Barbara district of Zamboanga City. Police served them warrants of arrest for kidnapping and illegal detention for ransom.

The Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, who has been hiding for 16 years, had evaded military operations in Basilan and Sulu.

Found in their possession were a 450g high-explosive bomb, detonating cord and time fuse.

They are believed to be planning to use those explosives in the city when it is celebrating a month-long festival that normally gathers thousands of visitors.

Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s ultimate order to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, it received a boost after recently taking a US$1.1 million ransom in exchange for their Norwegian captive, Kjartan Sekkingstad.

A few days earlier, three more suspected Abu Sayyaf members, who were in their 20s, were arrested in Canelar District of Zamboanga City after police learned that they were in possession of explosives intended to attack the night market festival in the downtown area.

Police spokesperson Rogelio Alabata told the local media that the arrest of Talanghati was part of the government counter-terrorism campaign after receiving intelligence reports that Abu Sayyaf bomb experts were in Zamboanga and plotting to attack the month-long festival.

While Duterte’s military offensives have killed 75 Abu Sayyaf members since he assumed the presidency in July, intelligence reports revealed that the Abu Sayyaf has also been expanding massively.

Since 2012, the group has raked in at least US$10 million in ransom and extortion activities.

Counter-terrorism analyst Rommel Banloi, executive director of the Philippine’s terrorism and violence think tank, was quoted by local media as saying that Abu Sayyaf has used the money to buy arms, pay off members, hire recruits and bribe community elders to turn a blind eye to their crimes.

The amount is also more than enough for the 400-member terrorist group to live a luxurious lifestyle.

“They simply realised that kidnap-for-ransom activities are an enterprise to finance their movement,” said Banloi, who was quoted by a national broadsheet.

Zamboanga and some areas in Mindanao remained on high alert after receiving reports that the Abu Sayyaf will resort to diversionary tactics because of the ongoing military pressure on their lairs in Basilan and Sulu.

Earlier, Duterte announced that he is sending his defence secretary and other military technical personnel to Russia to explore the possibility of buying weapons to crush the Abu Sayyaf.

Duterte made this announcement after the terror group beheaded their Canadian captives, which caught the attention of the international community.

The military also found a new ally in the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under the leadership of sub-commander Abraham Joel.

The group is using their familiarity of the Sulu sea and terrain to help the armed forces pursue the Abu Sayyaf. Duterte and MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari are also known to be close friends.

The Abu Sayyaf started as a religious youth group in the early 1990s, but later transformed into a bandit movement involved in pirating, kidnapping and extortion.

It is one of the most notorious terrorist groups in Southeast Asia, victimising citizens from Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Canada, the United States, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

[Noel Tarrazona, a graduate school management lecturer in the Philippines, contributes to the ‘New Straits Times’]

http://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/10/179469/breakthrough-arrest-militants