Puno sees end to kidnap crisis in south

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno yesterday expressed confidence that the kidnapping activities of the Abu Sayyaf in the region will soon be a thing of the past.

Puno made the statement as he noted the security efforts of local officials in the region.

Puno led the turnover of 11 pumpboats donated by Mayor Celso Lobregat for the police to patrol the coastal areas here.

“Personally, I think the crisis of the past few months is slowly coming to a close,” Puno told the gathering led by Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

The US government has included the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in its terror watch list and provided huge rewards for the arrest of the group’s leaders.

The bandit group gained international notoriety for staging a spate of kidnappings of foreigners, including Americans.

In the past 12 months, the Abu Sayyaf has kidnapped seven people, including the three teachers who were released last month.

A separate group of Abu Sayyaf gunmen is still holding Italian Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni in Sulu.

“We just want to assure the public here in Zamboanga City everybody is going to be safe because the entire coastline will be properly patrolled and we have equipment that are superior to what the criminals or people with bad intent will have out there,” Puno said.

Puno urged local government units to reflect Zamboanga City’s investment in public safety and security.

Puno earlier claimed the Abu Sayyaf is having a hard time keeping Vagni hostage because of the ongoing military rescue operation.

Officials said the military has reduced the mobility of the Abu Sayyaf to a small area in the jungles of Sulu.

Puno said the government is open to suspending the military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf if they decide to resume negotiations for the release of Vagni.

The Italian has been held hostage for more than five months while his two colleagues, Swiss national Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, gained their freedom in April.

After several failed negotiations, the provincial hostage crisis committee led by Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan authorized the military to launch operations to rescue Vagni, who is said to be suffering from hernia. —With Edith Regalado, James Mananghaya

A source from the military revealed that some villagers sympathize with the Abu Sayyaf, making it difficult for government troops to locate the gunmen and their hostage.

“It is a vast area with adversaries supported by the population,” the source said.

“The people (villagers) help keep Vagni. That is why no matter what the government forces do, still they could not find the Italian,” he said.

The source noted that even the US forces providing intelligence reports to Filipino troops searching for Vagni also admitted difficulty in locating the Italian.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also expressed apprehension over losing communication with Vagni, who was reported to have last contacted his family on June 2.

The same source said the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers have been negotiating directly with Vagni’s family in Italy for ransom.

In a related development, a suspected Abu Sayyaf leader was arrested by Army intelligence operatives in Basilan.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos said Mubin Sakandal, a trusted lieutenant of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani, was arrested by the military after he was identified as a senior leader of the bandit group operating in Basilan.

Burgos also announced the arrest of Ansar Bernardino Venancio, a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) acting as the financial conduit of the regional terror group in Mindanao.

The Philippine government has a P2-million bounty for Sakandal’s arrest while the US government has offered a $20,000 reward for his capture.

The military said Sakandal is among those who kidnapped the teachers in Sumisip, Basilan and 21 foreign tourists in the Malaysian island resort of Sipadan in 2000.

Officials added Sakandal also participated in the kidnapping of American couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, along with other tourists in a beach resort in Palawan in 2001.

Burgos said Venancio is also a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Special Operations Group under commander Ameril Umbra Kato who led the bloody rampage in Central Mindanao that left several people dead and hundreds displaced last year.

Burgos said Venancio is wanted for the murder of SPO2 Rex Takasan and a certain Abdul Bashir Takasan.

“The arrest of the two terrorist leaders is a big blow to the organization. We believe we have foiled their future plans,” Burgos said.

He said Venancio’s arrest established the link between the JI and renegade MILF forces. — With Edith Regalado, James Mananghaya