Robot’s piecemeal escape?

No, he’s not escaping piecemeal, although that’s the joke going around about Abu Sayyaf commander Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot.

Andang, who is confined at the V. Luna military hospital in Quezon City, has lost his left leg. Now doctors want to remove his kidney.

Col. Rafael Regino, Armed Forces surgeon general, said military doctors believe that Andang, who is still under medical observation, is a "good candidate" for a kidney transplant.

"Right now we’re looking at his kidney," he said.

Regino said Andang’s kidney problem was monitored Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after his left leg had been amputated.

"The patient last night (was) having some sort of an elevated createnin (body substance being monitored and examined for possible kidney infection)," he said.

Regino said Andang’s kidney problem was not brought about by complications from the amputation of his left leg.

"Most probably, there was an existing kidney problem," he said.

Military doctors have recommended that Andang be placed under thorough observation, he added.

At Malacañang, President Arroyo said authorities will use information taken by the military from the captured Abu Sayyaf commander to ferret the truth and bring to justice his cohorts.

"Commander Robot will definitely play a vital role in shedding light on a number of questions regarding the Sipadan hostage-taking," she said in a statement from Malacañang before leaving for Tokyo early yesterday morning.

"He (Andang) and his cohorts will be brought to justice so that we can let out the truth and close this bizarre chapter in our history."

Mrs. Arroyo said the government will focus on mopping up the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf based on information from Andang.

"We need to push our domestic effort against terror in concert with our allies in the region because the threat will never relent until we can account for all their leaders, followers and networks," she said.

On the other hand, Andang cleared yesterday Robert Aventajado, chief government negotiator during the 2000 hostage crisis, of allegations he had shared in the millions of dollars in ransom allegedly paid to the Abu Sayyaf.

"Mayroon akong sulat na hawak ni Atty. Oliver Lozano, abogado ko," he said in a statement he had signed from his hospital bed.

"Nakalista doon ang mga pangalan ng tumanggap ng ransom. Wala doon si Mr. Robert Aventajado."

Andang said he has no personal knowledge of the people who had allegedly partaken of the ransom as the list is based on field reports given to him.

"Wala akong personal na kaalaman sa pagtanggap ng ransom ng mga nasabing tao," he said.

"Nasa bundok ako noon. Ang nasabing listahan ng tumanggap ng ransom ay base lamang sa report sa akin.

"Hinihiling ko na huwag i-base ang congressional investigation sa listahan ko na base sa report ng ibang tao at hindi base sa personal na kaalaman ko."

Lozano, who furnished copies of the letter to the media, said Andang affixed his signature on the documents in the presence of several security personnel on duty, doctors and nurses.

Lozano said he is planning to transmit the letter and statement of Andang personally to the President within the week.

In Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, the Agence France Presse has reported that Sabah police want to question Andang about the kidnap of international tourists from a resort in Sipadan island off Sabah on Easter Sunday in 2000.

Sabah police commissioner Pahlawan Ramli Yusuff said police were making arrangements for the questioning with officials of the Philippine National Police.

Ramli said that Sabah police wanted information from Andang on both the Sipadan incident and a similar kidnapping involving three Malaysians on Pandanan Island in September 2000.

"He was definitely involved in both the Sipadan and Pandanan incidents, so we want to find out how he carried them out," he told the Bernama news agency.

Ramli said Andang might also have information about the kidnapping of four Indonesians and two Filipinos working at the Borneo Paradise Resort in Kunak on Oct. 5.

One man escaped but the other five are still being held by their captors, who have reportedly demanded ransom.

‘Prosecution Before Probe’

Meanwhile, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. said Andang should be immediately prosecuted before any government inquiry on his "unsubstantiated" allegations.

"He murdered and beheaded people, raped women and even devastated our economy," he said. "Even our local investors left the country for fear of the Abu Sayyaf and thus affected the livelihood of our people."

Pichay said there are strong evidence against Andang, which include his televised negotiations with former secretary Aventajado and former Libyan ambassador to Manila Abdul Rajab Azzarouq for the release of the hostages.

"The negotiation was already an admission that the Abu Sayyaf had kidnapped people," he said. "They even came out with threats to behead the hostages which they later on actually did."

Andang’s prosecution will make neighboring countries realize that the Philippines means business in fighting international terrorism, he added.

On the other hand, the National Security Council is preparing a list of top Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members in the country and release their mug shots to the public.

"It will just be like the wanted list prepared by the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force on kidnappers," said a source.

"We will also be coming out with the most wanted JI members in the Philippines."

Andang is confined in V. Luna military hospital in Quezon City where his left leg was amputated after being shot during his arrest Sunday by troops in Jolo.

Andang led an Abu Sayyaf band that raided the Sipadan resort more than three years ago and seized 21 tourists and resort staff.

The captives were later released, reportedly in return for millions of dollars in ransom. — With reports from Marichu Villanueva, Katherine Adraneda, Christina Mendez, AFP