Authorities have blamed that attack on the kidnap-for-ransom group Abu Sayyaf. The Abu Sayyaf had warned a week earlier it would mount attacks on civilian, military and US targets to retaliate for the army offensive against Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines. Communist rebels (NPA) have also carried out a series of attacks in the last week. ERRI analysts warned last week of the potential for an expanded terrorist offensive in the Philippines. (See below)

Monday 26th August 2002

Philippine Military Forcing Terrorists into "Target Spot" For Neutralization

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst

PHILIPPINES: The Philippine military told local media on Monday that troops were attempting to round-up fifteen Abu Sayyaf rebels, holding hostages on Jolo Island, into a "Target Spot" where they could be neutralized if negotiations fail.

The rebels are holding four people hostage and asked the Philippine military pull its forces back.  Philippine Armed Forces Chief General Roy Cimatu outwardly refused the request saying he was worried they might try to escape and link up with Abu Sayyaf members on nearby Sulu Island. To counter that move, the 104th Army Brigade has spent the weekend moving into strategic positions around the rebels on Jolo.

Last Wednesday fifteen Abu Sayyaf rebels took eight Jehovah Witnesses hostage from the town of Patikul. The group had been selling Avon and herbal products door to door when they were captured. Two members of the group were freed immediately and another two were beheaded 24 hours later. Their bodies were discovered by Philippine troops in an open-air marketplace with a letter next to them stating the Abu Sayyaf were declaring Jihad.

All four remaining hostages are women and Philippine military advisers speculated that they may be forced to marry or consort with Abu Sayyaf leaders.

In an ultimatum delivered last Friday, the military has given the Abu Sayyaf until Tuesday 27 August to bring about a peaceful end to the situation or face a major assault. Eight battalions of soldiers and an elite U.S.-trained Light Reaction Company are poised to attack if negotiations fail.

22 Aug 2002

24 July 2002

US Indicts Abu Sayyaf Leaders

WASHINGTON. DC/PHILIPPINES: The United States has filed murder charges against five rebel leaders of the Philippines' Abu Sayyaf guerrilla movement for the kidnap and murder of US nationals. The five indictees were named as: Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, Aldam Tilao, Jainal Antel Sali Jr, and Hamsiraji Marusi Sali. Federal charges were filed for the murders of missionary Martin Burnham and Peruvian-born Guillermo Sobero.

Also included were charges relating to the kidnapping of Burnham's wife, Gracia Burnham, who was rescued on 7 June. The five suspects include Khadafi Abubakar Janjalani, believed to be the spiritual leader of the group and Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, said to be the second in command. The indictments come a month after the leader of the group, who went by the name Abu Sabaya, was believed killed during a gun battle at sea with US-trained Philippine troops....the latest reports from the area, however, indicate that his body has still not been found.

Wednesday 17 July 2002

PHILIPPINES - LEAD FOCUS

ERRI Cautious about Claims that Abu Sayyaf is "Much Diminished".

By Jeremy Zakis, ERRI Analyst in Australia

According to U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, Francis Ricciardone, the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group operating in the south of the country is almost totally eradicated. However, Emergency Response and Research (ERRI) analysts are treating the news with caution and suspicion because of the elusive nature of the group and its previous ability to launch forceful surprise attacks in area's where they've supposedly been neutralized.

"They've been much diminished in terms of whatever formality and organization they had. At least one of its five principal leaders has been killed, the others are on the run. The numbers of fighters clearly are much
diminished," Ricciardone told reporters on Wednesday. He said that Philippine military forces were merely "mopping up" the remnants of the group in the southern Philippines.

While that may be true that joint military operations against Abu Sayyaf have shown some success, ERRI analysts said that they respectfully suggest a "wait-and-see" attitude. "In other words, it ain't over 'til it's over...with all due respect to the ambassador's assessment, we must suggest that Abu Sayyaf may exfiltrate and reconstitute later at another time and place," one analyst noted.

Linked to al-Qaeda and the Jemaah Islamiya organization operating in the Asian region, Abu Sayyaf are notorious for kidnappings foreigners and villagers in the Philippines and Malaysia. In the past two years, they have been responsible for killing two Americans and injuring one other.

For the past month, Abu Sayyaf have been carrying out surprise attacks in Zamboagna del Norte Province, north of their base on the Island of Basilan. Despite military casualties being reported, the Abu Sayyaf are reportedly coming out of many skirmishes with few injuries or without damage.

It is with caution that ERRI analysts analyze the news that the group is almost defunct, largely because of similar claims by the Philippine military in 2000 following a concerted campaign against the terrorists. Within weeks of that claim being made in March 2000, the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped 23 foreigners from the Malaysian resort island of Sapidan and transported them to the Philippine island of Jolo. The hostage situation lasted months and resulted in several hostage deaths. Future events could shadow past history, analysts said.

Also, reports by Philippine press say that Abu Sayyaf members have been sighted moving south into Malaysian waters, out of reach of the Philippine military. Further evidence of this shift in Abu Sayyaf terrorists came when leader Abu Subaya was allegedly killed, while attempting to move into Malaysia. Experts say that it is possible that Abu Sayyaf will merely move to areas sympathetic to them in Indonesia or Malaysia...only to return when there is less military pressure (particularly by USSOF). Similar tactics have been seen in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Currently, the United States has 1,000 personnel in the southern Philippines taking part in the Balikatan exercises, which involve U.S. troops advising the Philippine military personnel on ways to fight the Abu  Sayyaf. In two weeks the exercises will end and much of the U.S. contingent will leave the country, but Ricciardone says a small envoy will remain to advise.

08 June 2002

PHILIPPINES: According to Philippine Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, US forces helped plan the Philippines operation that led to the death of an American missionary and a Filipina captive. Reyes said elements of a US anti-terror mission in the southern Philippines were "advising and assisting" the Filipino troops who carried out the mission. Christian missionary Martin Burnham, 42, and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap were slain, while Martin's wife Gracia, 43, was rescued and treated for a bullet wound on her right leg.  Reyes said: "None of them were involved in the actual combat operation, but our American friends taking part in Balikatan 02-01 participated actively and materially, substantially, in the planning and the advising and assisting in the execution. We cannot overemphasize the importance of the American contribution."

07 June 2002

US Hostages Killed In Philippine Rescue Operation

PHILIPPINES: The military said two hostages, one of them an American missionary, have been killed in a rescue attempt by the Philippine army. American Martin Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap died in the operation, while Burnham's wife, Gracia was wounded and is now in a hospital. The Christian missionary couple were kidnapped by Muslim separatist guerrillas in the southern Philippines in May of last year. Hundreds of troops, backed by US technology, launched the attack on Friday to try to rescue the couple as part of an extended rescue operation that has been going on for almost two weeks. All of the details of the confrontation are currently not clear, it is expected that the Philippine government and U.S. DoD are going to release more information later today...

23 Apr 2002

Terrorism Advisory Issued For Philippines

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- ERRI counter-terrorism analysts today issued a supplemental terrorism advisory for the Philippine Islands. The advisory warns of the possibility of additional terror bombings in the Southern Philippines, in the City of Manila, and/or other locations. The warning references recent interrogations of two suspects allegedly involved in bombings in the vicinity of General Santos, where 14 people were killed and at least fifty others wounded this past weekend. Increasing activity and threats by Abu Sayyaf, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and Jemaah Islamiyah also contributes to the level of alarm concerning this region. Reports from the area reveal alleged intent by the guerillas to escalate violence in the region, in a concerted attempt to "destabilize" the government in Manila.

To quote a April 18, 2002 statement from the U.S. Dept. of  State: "U.S. citizens are warned to avoid travel to the central, southern and western areas of Mindanao, including Zamboanga City, due to incidents of terrorism, kidnappings, and violence. U.S. citizens should also avoid travel to the islands of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and Jolo, located in the Sulu Archipelago in the extreme southwest of the Philippines. Americans residing in central, southern or western Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago should carefully review their situation and evaluate their security posture in light of local circumstances. As a precaution, the U.S. Government has withdrawn resident official Americans and contractors from these areas. In view of these incidents and the possibility of future terrorist activity, kidnappings for ransom, or bombings, Americans traveling to or residing in the Philippines are urged to maintain a high level of vigilance and to increase their security awareness..."

21 Apr 2002

Multiple Bombings in the Philippines; 14 Dead and More than 50 Wounded

PHILIPPINES: Officials said a bomb exploded in front of a busy department store in the southern city of General Santos on Sunday, killing at least 14 people. Two other bombs went off in quick succession near the Radio Mindanao Network office and a bus terminal in the Philippine city. At least 50 people were injured in the series of blasts. Police said they received an anonymous call claiming 18 bombs had been planted around the largely Christian city of 800,000 people in the predominantly Muslim south. A man, who identified himself as Abu Muslim al Ghazi, called the RMN radio station and claimed the blasts in the name of Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.

The first bomb exploded in a pedal-powered cab parked in a line about 10 yards in front of the Gensan Fitmart department store in the city's business district. Most of the casualties appeared to be pedi-cab drivers, shoppers and bystanders. The second bomb went off 34 minutes later at a radio station, followed several minutes afterward by the bus terminal blast, injuring several people.

Police said two unexploded bombs were discovered under a truck parked in front of the store and they were detonated safely by the police bomb squad. The injured were rushed to hospitals and clinics in the city, a little over 620 miles southeast of Manila. Most businesses were closed, and checkpoints were set up on major roads.

It was not clear if the blasts were related to the sentencing Thursday in General Santos of an Indonesian man believed to be a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian-based group with suspected links to al-Qaeda. Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi was recently sentenced to 12 years in prison for explosives possession. He told police he had planned a series of bombings that killed 22 people in Manila on 30 December 2000.

ERRI preliminary analysis: Although Philippine authorities are cautious about linking the attack to the sentencing of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) terrorist bombmaker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, this attack was probably carried out by Jeemah Islamiya (who Al-Ghozi was also associated with). Jeemah Islamiya has a history of carrying out multiple attacks on Christian targets (December 24, 2000, when about 20 churches were attacked is their largest attack) and plotting to carry out simultaneous bomb attacks on western targets (a failed operation called Jabril, aimed at U.S., British and Australian interests in Singapore).
ERRI analysts said that the attacks may also be linked to the deployment of additional U.S. troops that is believed to be occurring shortly. Jeemah Islamiya (JI) is a very powerful terrorist organization that is reactive to regional events and proactive in attacking western interests.

13 Apr 2002

Philippine Guerrillas Ordered To Attack U.S. Troops By Communist Leader

PHILIPPINES: It was being reported on Saturday that the exiled founder of the Philippines' communist insurgent movement has ordered his guerrillas to "inflict severe casualties" on US troops participating in joint exercises in the country. The order was published in the latest issue of the communists' Ang Bayan (the Nation) publication, and was issued by insurgent chief "Armando Liwanag," widely considered the alias of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison. The order said: "We must be ready to use the social and physical terrain of the Philippines to inflict severe casualties on the invading US forces and to take punitive action against US economic and related interests."

The order added that the communists' guerrilla arm, the New People's Army (NPA) "must deliver lethal blows against the US imperialists and the puppet military and police forces, whatever extent that the US intervenes or aggresses against the people. The way for the NPA to strengthen itself is to wipe out the enemy forces and seize firearms and other war materiel from them..."

25 Mar 2002

Abu Sayyaf Rebels Want To Make A Deal

PHILIPPINES: The military said on Monday that Islamic rebels are asking the government for ceasefire and safe passage for a wounded guerrilla leader in exchange for a Filipina hostage. The military brass however rejected the offer and instead called on the Abu Sayyaf rebels holding out in the southern Philippines to surrender. Relatives of wounded Abu Sayyaf commander Bakal Hapilon had relayed the request to military southern command chief Lieutenant General Roy Cimatu, who promptly rejected it.

Cimatu instead called on the Abu Sayyaf to release all hostages, including a US Christian missionary couple and peacefully give up to authorities. Cimatu said: "Release all three hostages and the military will agree that Bakal and all other Abu Sayyaf wounded be treated at southern command hospital by military doctors. But there will be no ceasefire." Bakal Hapilon was said to be critically wounded after soldiers overran an Abu Sayyaf camp near Basilan's Lantawan town on Saturday. Five other rebels were killed in the gunbattle. Abu Sayyaf guerillas have used a similar ploy before in an attempt to escape and regroup.

23 Mar 2002

PHILIPPINES: Police said two bombs were found in the suburbs of Manila, bringing to 13 the number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) discovered in Philippine cities this week. The first bomb, made of two grenades, was found in a brown envelope on a pedestrian overpass in the financial district of Makati late Friday. It was safely defused.

A second bomb was found in an envelope on a pedestrian overpass in the suburb of Pasay. Pasay police defused it and took it away for examination. The police refused to comment on the type of bomb or whether anyone claimed credit for it.

Television reports said the bomb found in Makati, like the others planted in recent days, was not set up to explode. It was claimed by the "Indigenous Federal State Army", an obscure group that is demanding the Philippines be divided into three federal states for indigenous people, Christians and Muslims. The same group allegedly planted six previous bombs in Manila and its suburbs.

20 Mar 2002

PHILIPPINES: Following the discovery of two bombs on Manila's train system which is used by nearly half a million commuters daily, police in the Philippine capital have gone on full alert. President Gloria Arroyo said police "have narrowed down the suspects," but would not discuss their identities. Police say they have not ruled out the possibility that Muslim separatist guerrillas, communist rebels, or even supporters of detained former president Joseph Estrada were involved.

In the third such incident in three days, police at dawn on Wednesday removed grenades rigged to batteries at two busy stations of Manila's overhead rail system. National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the grenades recovered Wednesday, like earlier packages removed from a side- walk and near a hotel at the Makati financial district the two previous nights, all lacked detonators. Golez said: "Our analysis is that this is not an act of terrorists. Definitely not. More likely it is an act of a political group who would like to deliver a political message. There is no intent to kill and hurt because those explosive materials would not detonate. They were not set up in order to detonate. They are set up in a harmless way."

19 Mar 2002

Bomb Plot Uncovered

PHILIPPINES: Manila's police chief said on Tuesday that two bombs were found planted in different areas in the Philippine financial suburb of Makati but were rendered safe by a police bomb squad. The bombs were discovered in bags on the sidewalks of two major streets in Makati late Monday. A previously unheard group called the "Indigenous Federal State Army" claimed responsibility for the attempted bombings.

A letter from the group was found with the bombs, one made of a 60 mm mortar shell and the other made of a 40 mm grenade round. The group claimed to be seeking the country's division into separate states of Muslim, Christian and indigenous groups, according to the letter writer who identified himself as "Adrev." However police cast doubt over the claim, saying shadowy opposition groups in the past had attempted bombings to destabilize the government every time the country appeared to be on the road to recovery.

Police would not rule out the possibility that Muslim separatist guerrillas or communist rebels might be behind the latest bombing attempt. The IEDs were not destroyed and police expressed hope that they could be used to help identify the perpetrators...

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Eight Terror Suspects Arrested In The Philippines

PHILIPPINES: A report said on Friday that Philippine authorities have arrested eight suspected terrorists, some of them are believed linked to Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network. The Philippine Star newspaper said the suspects included Indonesian, Middle East and Japanese nationals and were taken into custody separately in two groups of four. The paper did not say when the arrests were made.

According to the Star, one group, led by an Indonesian, had been under surveillance by Philippine intelligence since they arrived in Manila on 11 March on board a Lufthansa flight from Bangkok. Airport security personnel detained the suspected terrorists during metal detector checks at the entrance of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

The report said incriminating items such as explosive materials and other related sophisticated equipment used for terrorist activities were found in the luggage of the suspected terrorists. The other group of four suspected terrorists -- three from the Middle East and one from Japan -- were arrested upon their arrival at the Manila airport. They had used tampered British passports and were immediately held by the immigration bureau. Found in their possession were the names of their contacts in the Philippines, Canada, India, and Bangladesh. The four admitted knowing each other.

The newspaper added: "There is a strong possibility that these foreigners could be under the command of a terrorist group operating internationally and assigned in this specific Southeast Asian region." Officials have recently said that the al-Qaeda terror network has been linked to a destabilization campaign in the Philippines, which may be part of its plot to seize power in Southeast Asia.

In other related news from the Philippines, military officials said on Friday that small US Special Forces units are to join Filipino troops in patrols on the southern Philippines island stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrilla group next week. But the officials insisted the Americans would only be joining "field training exercises" on Basilan Island and not engage in actual combat. They are, however, allowed to defend themselves if attacked by hostile forces.

About 160 US Special Forces, divided into 12-man teams, are deployed with several military battalions on Basilan, a hilly island the size of Los Angeles where the rebels have been holding hostage US Christian missionary couple since June. The US deployment in the southern Philippines is the largest next to Afghanistan in its war on terrorism.

21 Jan 2002

Philippine Defense Chief Says Southeast Asia Might Be Next Terror Haven

PHILIPPINES: Even as a US-led campaign targets Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, Philippines Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes says Southeast Asia may be the next haven of international terrorists. He cited the arrest in the Philippines last week of an Indonesian believed to be an explosives expert of the Jemaah Islamiyah organization, which police say is a terror group operating in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

The arrest of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi came after information from Singapore was received and led to the arrest of three Filipino accomplices and the seizure of an explosives cache in the southern city of General Santos.

In a television interview, Reyes said: "So what does this say? I think the more we go into it, the more we will find out that this global threat of terrorism is real." He noted that Indonesia and Malaysia both have Muslim-majority populations. Reyes said: "We have a smaller Muslim population, but quite aggressive. We have the Abu Sayyaf group, which has demonstrated the capacity and the stomach to behead people, and be proud of it."

18 Jan 2002

Explosives Seized In Philippine Bust

PHILIPPINES: Acting on information from authorities in Singapore who recently broke up a terror ring there, Philippine police arrested three men suspected of links to the al-Qaeda terrorist network and seized a ton of explosives on Thursday. The arrests in the southern Philippine city of General Santos came as U.S. troops began setting up camp less than 200 miles away to assist the Philippine military in combating an Islamic separatist band of kidnappers.

The arrests and the discovery of a weapons cache indicate that a terrorist network connected with al-Qaeda has been operating secretly for some time in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. About 650 U.S. troops are moving into the southern Philippines to train and assist government soldiers in maneuvers aimed at destroying Abu Sayyaf guerrillas operating on Basilan island.

There was no indication whether the three suspects arrested on Thursday on the island of Mindanao have any links to the Abu Sayyaf or to other Islamic separatist groups that have long fought the government in the southern Philippines. Authorities didn't identify the three arrested men or provide information about them, although they are all apparently Filipinos.

Police said they had dug up a variety of weapons, including 17 M-16s, bomb-making materials and detonators, from the yard of a house that the suspects were using. Police dug up the weapons cache, which included 50 cartons of TNT. Markings on cylinders containing the TNT indicated that they were made in the Philippines. Police also found 300 detonators.

16 Jan 2002

21 Killed in Latest Clashes in Philippines

PHILIPPINES: Taking the toll in two days of clashes, police drawn from former Islamic rebels shot and killed three army rangers in the southern Philippines on Wednesday. The military's southern command said the three rangers were killed at around 08:30 hours local time at a public market in the town of Jolo, 600 miles south of Manila. Witnesses and local officials said police fired on an army patrol and the bodies of three soldiers were later hacked by civilians.

The civilians, mostly Muslims, were enraged by a gun battle on Tuesday in which 18 people were killed and which they blamed on the military. The fighting on both days involved mobile units of the police, a division made up of former Muslim rebels. Many of the rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have reneged in recent months on a peace deal with Manila and fought government troops. But it was the first time MNLF men inducted into the military and police under the 1996 peace deal -- called "integrees" -- had turned their guns on regular government troops.

At least 16 people were killed on Tuesday after a gunfight between police and Marines during a public rally in front of the town square of Jolo. Two of the 17 injured died over- night. The dead included 10 Marines, six civilians and two policemen. Police have ordered the entire 400-strong mobile unit squad pulled out of Jolo.

Tuesday's rally was held to demand the release of MNLF chief Nur Misuari, who is in custody after being deported from Malaysia. He was arrested for illegal entry by Malaysian authorities after an abortive uprising on Jolo and in the nearby city of Zamboanga by his supporters last November. At least 200 people were killed in the fighting.

28 Dec 2001

Explosives Investigation in the Philippines

[Terror Group Reference: al-Qaida]

Manila, Philippines -- Officials said on Friday that a Jordanian man was arrested and 281 sticks of dynamite were seized from his Manila-area home. Authorities were said to be investigating possible international terrorism activity in the Philippines. National police chief General Leandro Mendoza said agents arrested one Hadi Yousef Alghoul on Thursday after obtaining a warrant to search his apartment in Balanga City, 35 miles west of Manila.

Mendoza said police are investigating possible links between the explosives and terrorist groups, particularly the al-Qaida network. It wasn't immediately clear if Yousef, who is a five-year resident of the Philippines and is married to a local woman, was under investigation for possible links to al-Qaida. Police also seized wiring, a dry-cell battery and three cell phones that could be used in assembling a bomb.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Friday, December 21, 2001-Vol. 7, No. 357

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Is U.S. Setting Sights On The Abu Sayyaf/Al-Qaida Connection?

Terror Group Reference: Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaida

By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst

It has long been reported that counterterrorism analysts believe there is some kind of link between Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network and the Philippines' Abu Sayyaf rebel group. But officials aren't certain how solidly those connections have been maintained. In recent years, Abu Sayyaf (Arabic for "Father of the Sword") has been best known for a series of high-profile kidnappings from tourist resorts in Malaysia and the Philippines believed to have netted the rebels millions of dollars in ransom payments.

The targets have included Americans and other Westerners, including Guillermo Sobero, a California man whose head- less remains were found in the Philippine jungle in October. Some officials have seen the sudden surge of kidnappings for profit as an indication that whatever funding Abu Sayyaf may have had from al-Qaida had likely been cut off or reduced in recent years.

Although the United States is arming the Philippine military in its battle against Abu Sayyaf and the group is on the State Department list of known terrorist organizations, Secretary of State Colin Powell has said direct U.S. military action in Southeast Asia connected to the war on terror is unlikely. Although Abu Sayyaf appears to have been shaken up and altered by an intense Philippine military campaign to destroy it, U.S. and Philippine officials believe the group's ties to al-Qaida are still in place.

The al Qaeda-Abu Sayyaf links are believed to go back to the origins of the group. A U.S. official recently said that the links continued in recent years as the two groups exchanged money, equipment and people -- including Abu Sayyaf fighters being sent for training at al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan.

Like al-Qaida, Abu Sayyaf has its roots in the 1980s war to drive the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. Several future members of both groups -- including bin Laden and future Abu Sayyaf leader Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani -- fought with Muslim mujahideen forces. Soon after the war, the Abu Sayyaf offered training in combat and terrorist skills at a "university" in Pakistan.

Abu Sayyaf emerged in the Philippines in 1991 under Janjalani, an Islamic "cleric" from Basilan Island in the southern Philippines, with an attack on a Philippine military post. Abu Sayyaf presented itself as a more radical wing of a decades-long separatist struggle by about five million Muslims in the southern Philippines. The Philippines military and U.S. officials later said Abu Sayyaf was being funded during that early period through Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, a brother-in-law to bin Laden. ERRI reported on this source of funding several times in the past.

Abu Sayyaf soon broadened its targets beyond the Philippine military to include the nation's Christian majority and, apparently, the United States. Here is chronology of some its earlier spectacular activities:

14 November 1993: Kidnapped a U.S. missionary, Charles Watson, in Pangutaran Island, Sulu Batu. He was released unharmed in Manila on 7 December 1993.

11 December 1994: Abu Sayyaf Group claimed responsibility for an explosion aboard a Phillipine Airliner. One Japanese citizen was killed, and at least ten others were injured.

9 September 1997: Kidnapped a German business executive in Zamboanga City. The ASG released the hostage on 26 December.

3 January 1999: A grenade was thrown into a crowd that had gathered to watch firefighters put out a blaze in a neighborhood supermarket. Ten people were killed, and at least 74 injured. The attack is thought to have been carried out by Abu Sayyaf members to avenge their leader Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, killed in December 1998 in a clash with security forces.

20 March 2000: Fifty three hostages--including 22 school children and five teachers, and a priest--were abducted from two schools on Basilan after Abu Sayyaf failed in an attempt to take an army outpost. The rebels eventuially released 20 hostages in exchange for food and medicine.

23 April 2000: Twenty-one hostages were kidnapped from a Malaysian diving resort by Abu Sayyaf. The hostages, who included tourists, hotel workers, and wildlife officials, were taken to Jolo Island in the Philippines. The hostages included three Germans, two French, two South Africans, two Finns, one Lebanese and a Filipino working at the Sipadan Island Resort. Nine Malaysians working on the island were also seized.

29 August 2000: Abu Sayyaf abducted Jeffrey Craig Schilling, an American Muslim convert who came to visit their Jolo Island stronghold. Abu Sabaya, a spokesman for the faction holding Schilling said that his group was demanding the release of Ramzi Youssef, Sheikh Adel Omar Rahman and Abu Haidal from U.S. prisons.

The following is the U.S. State Department profile of Abu Sayyaf:

Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)

Description: The ASG is the smallest and most radical of the Islamic separatist groups operating in the southern Philippines. Some ASG members have studied or worked in the Middle East and developed ties to mujahidin while fighting and training in Afghanistan. The group split from the Moro National Liberation

Front in 1991 under the leadership of Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, who was killed in a clash with Philippine police on 18 December 1998. Press reports place his younger brother, Khadafi Janjalani, as the nominal leader of the group, which is composed of several factions.

Activities: Engages in bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, areas in the southern Philippines heavily populated by Muslims. Raided the town of Ipil in Mindanao in April 1995--the group's first large-scale action--and kidnapped more than 30 foreigners, including a US citizen, in 2000.

Strength: Believed to have about 200 core fighters, but more than 2,000 individuals motivated by the prospect of receiving ransom payments for foreign hostages allegedly joined the group in August.

Location/Area of Operation: The ASG primarily operates in the southern Philippines with members occasionally traveling to Manila, but the group expanded its operations to Malaysia this year when it abducted foreigners from two different resorts.

External Aid: Probably receives support from Islamic extremists in the Middle East and South Asia.

19 August 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Chinese Hostages Reportedly Killed in Philippines Firefight

MINDANAO -- The BBC world service says that the Philippines military is reporting that two Chinese hostages have been shot dead during a gun-battle in the south of the country between the Muslim rebels holding them and army troops. A third Chinese man is said to have escaped during the incident in the village of Bunawan, in Sultan Kudarat province, on the island of Mindanao. It is believed two further hostages, a Chinese and a Filipino, are still being held. The rebels had demanded $10m in ransom for the safe release of their captives.

PHILIPPINES:

Hostages Rescued

MANILA -- The military said that army has rescued 13 Filipino hostages after a clash with members of the militant Muslim group Abu Sayyaf. The hostages were freed before dawn on Sunday, when the soldiers stormed the militants' hideout outside the town of Isabela, the capital of Basilan Island, about 560 miles south of Manila. An undetermined number of militants were killed in the operation; few official details were immediately released by authorities.

The 13 rescued hostages were among about 35 villagers captured by Abu Sayyaf in a raid on the town of Lamitan on Basilan on Thursday. An army spokesman said the guerrillas beheaded 10 hostages, while 12 others were either released or had escaped. The Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan is still holding around 20 people captured during raids in May, including two Americans taken from a luxury beach resort.

In an effort to prevent possible attacks by Muslim rebels holding Filipino and U.S. hostages on a nearby island, government troops stepped up security around the largely Christian city of Zamboanga on Sunday. Local officials said about 80 supporters of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group were believed to have fled to coastal districts of Zamboanga since the military launched a crackdown on the rebels on Basilan Island on Friday.

Police have tightened security around the commercial center and several Christian churches in Zamboanga, while troops set up checkpoints around the city during the night in a heightened alert. The measures followed intelligence reports that the Abu Sayyaf or its supporters might launch terrorist attacks in the city of 600,000 people...

Reports continue to come in to EmergencyNet News concerning potential attacks on U.S. and Israeli embassies in Manila. The latest threat, citing senior Philippine officials, allegedly involves the possibility that an individual or individuals from Lebanon and associated with alleged terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden, are attempting to enter the Philippines for the purposes of undertaking a terrorist event. Few official details concerning the threat are available, but both Philippine and U.S. officials are said to be taking extra precautions to prevent any possible attacks.

PHILIPPINES:

Bomb Blasts At General Santos City Disco

At least 13 people were reported wounded in the southern Philippines when two bombs exploded in a disco in General Santos City on the island of Mindanao. Police said they are investigating if the attacks were prompted by business rivalry, or if they were the work of one of the rebel groups in the area.

14:00CDT - 07 July 2001

Philippine Govt. Investigating Plot To Bomb U.S. Embassy and Assassinate Philippine President Arroyo

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- The Philippine Star is today reporting that Philippine authorities are investigating an alleged  plot by elements of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)  to bomb the U.S. embassy in Manila and assassinate Philippine President Arroyo. The STAR report also ties Abu Sayyaf and other Philippine militants to training and financing believed to have originated in Afghanistan.

The ASG has been named a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State (DoS), and the DoS have recently issued several travel warnings concerning the possibility of impending terrorist attacks and additional kidnapping in the Philippines.  EmergencyNet News is closely monitoring events in the Philippines and will provide additional updates as circumstances warrant...

06 July 2001

PHILIPPINES

British FCO Issues Updated Travel Advice

On 4 July, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued the following updated Country Advice for the Philippines:

"In recent weeks there has been an increase in kidnappings in Manila and throughout the Philippines, including in popular resorts. There is also a threat from random bombings. Including a reported specific threat to bomb public places in Metro Manila.

We strongly advise against all travel to southern and western Mindanao and against all holiday and other non-essential travel to other parts of Mindanao and Palawan until further notice. British nationals should remain vigilant throughout the Philippines, including heightened security awareness against the threat of kidnapping in Manila, and exercise great caution when considering travel to any coastal resorts.

British nationals should heighten their security awareness throughout the Philippines. Sensible precautions include arranging to be met at the airport or using hotel transfer services; using a driver or taxis from reputable sources such as a hotel rank; and avoiding walking in the city at night. Even well lit and busy city areas cannot be assumed to be safe. Avoid travel off the beaten track and leave travel plans with friends or relatives.

The local media reported on 29 June that Abu Sayyaf Group terrorists intend to bomb public places in Metro Manila. Grenades were thrown into Manila shopping malls on 29 April and 6 May this year, causing many injuries. This follows several incidents last year in which unidentified bombers planted bombs that exploded in Metro Manila without warning. Targets included a train, a bus and the airport. It is reported a total of 22 people died and many were injured.

While these bombs were not aimed at British nationals, they were unpredictable and indiscriminate. Visitors should therefore exercise increased vigilance in public places. As with the rest of the Philippines, visitors should exercise increased vigilance in public places following these terrorist incidents.

Kidnap gangs have used extreme violence against some victims and are increasingly targeting business figures and visitors throughout the Philippines, including Metro Manila and the business/entertainment district of Makati. Three British nationals have been kidnapped so far this year and held for periods up to three weeks. Heightened security awareness is essential..."

In a discussion among counter-terrorism analysts yesterday, ERRI's Clark Staten said of the situation in the Philippines, "Kidnapping and ransom paying begets more kidnapping. This is an endless cycle of violence and extortion that is only making Aby Sayyaf more cash rich and able to pay for weapons, explosives, and hire more soldiers." "Solution #1...don't pay the ransom...Solution #2...arrest/terminate the hostage takers. If there is no financial incentive for kidnapping they will stop doing it. As long as the terrorists continue to get paid, they will continue to kidnap," Staten added.

03 July 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Hostages Freed In The Philippines; Released to Carry Mid-East "Political Message," and after alleged ransom payment.

According to senior military officials, two hostages have been freed by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines. The two Filipinos were found by the army in the town of Lamitan on the island of Basilan late on Monday. The Abu Sayyaf has been holding 23 hostages, including three Americans, one of whom has reportedly been killed.

Unidentified officials said that a ransom of US$113,000 was paid for the release of the two, although the government has ruled out such payments. There have been several reports that the families of the hostages have been secretly trying to negotiate deals, after the army failed to free the hostages despite a massive military operation. There were claims that a ransom had been secretly paid for the other hostages from the resort, who were earlier freed. Filipino officials denied that there was any change in their official position on the payment of ransom.

Fifteen-year-old Lalaine Chua and 32-year-old Luis Bautista were among the 17 Filipinos who were seized, along with three Americans, from the resort of Dos Palmas off the western island of Palawan on 27 May. They are now expected to be flown to the capital Manila to meet President Gloria Arroyo. Of the original 20 hostages, 11 were later freed. But more were captured during a raid on a local hospital and school in Lamitan.

In a statement read on a local radio station shortly after his release, Bautista reportedly said the Abu Sayyaf  threatened to "continue to attack and seize US and European citizens and their properties" until certain demands were met. These demands included, for the first time, a political statement concerning withdrawal of all US and European troops and businesses from the Middle East and withdrawal of U.S. support for Israel.

Two Filipino men were killed and the Abu Sayyaf have boasted that they have killed one of the three Americans, Guillermo Sobero, even though his body has not been found. Authorities suspect that Sobero is dead. But his body has yet to be found, so they cannot confirm that he has indeed been beheaded, as the rebels claim.

Thousands of troops are still searching the mountains and jungles of Basilan in an effort to rescue the remaining captives. The Abu Sayyaf says it is seeking "an independent Muslim state," but the government calls it a "band of bandits," who simply kidnaps people for ransom.

29 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Bomb Threat In Manila; U.S. Aid Sought

Security forces on Friday were investigating a threat of terrorist bombings in the capital Manila to take the pressure off rebels who are under siege from pursuing troops in the south. The plot was uncovered with the arrest of confessed Abu Sayyaf intelligence officer Harsim Abdulajid in Manila. Police said he had a hand in planning a series of bombings to divert attention from rebels holding 23 US and Filipino hostages on Basilan Island where they are being pursued by a large military task force.

Two soldiers and an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in a clash late Thursday. The deaths raise the reported toll to 18 government soldiers and at least 20 Abu Sayyaf gunmen killed and more than 75 wounded on both sides in a month of fighting since the rebels embarked on a kidnapping spree. Fighting has increased in the past six days since the military said it had engaged hit-and-run perimeter guards of the guerrillas on a jungle mountain in the center of the island.

The guerrillas are believed to have split into at least two groups with their captives, and it was not known if any hostages have been caught in the shooting. Government troops were said to be closing in on the main band of guerrillas who are holding US Christian missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham and eight Filipinos. The whereabouts of the second group, holding 13 plantation workers, was not known.

U.S. Aid Sought Against Kidnap Rebels

Wanting to crush the Abu Sayyaf kidnappers in the south of her country, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal arroyo said on Friday she has asked the United States to provide surveillance plus modern equipment. Arroyo told an Economist Intelligence Unit business conference that the Muslim rebel group had done serious damage to the country's tourism industry and she once again vowed to destroy them. Not mincing her words, Arroyo said: "They are scum and we will get them."

The Philippine president told the gathering that the foreign business community had nothing to fear in the Philippines despite a spate of other kidnappings and the political upheaval of the past year. She said: "In the past 12 months we have had the impeachment trial, Edsa II (people power uprising in January) and an attempted rebellion (on 1 May) yet democracy survived and the effect on business was minimal.

There were no tanks crawling the streets, no curfew, no fear or threat to your lives or property." Arroyo added that she could guarantee the government would thwart trouble makers and businesses would be protected. Arroyo said the newly created National Anti-Crime Council would pull out all stops to combat urban kidnapping.

25 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Rebel Leader Says "Conflict Could Widen"

A rebel leader responsible for kidnapping dozens of hostages threatened on Monday to carry out more killings that could spread his violent Muslim separatist movement across Southeast Asia. Abu Sabaya demanded that the Philippine government bring in three negotiators involved in mediating the end to another hostage crisis last year by his Abu Sayyaf group, reportedly for millions of dollars in ransom. Sabaya, who has already killed several captives and has claimed to have beheaded one of the three Americans he is holding captive, said he would kill more if the government refuses.

The military said on Monday that troops clashed with the Muslim rebels on a southern island but the main guerrilla group believed to be holding the hostages was unsighted. Four members of Abu Sayyaf and one soldier were wounded in a 15-minute shootout on Sunday near Isabela, the capital of Basilan Island, before the rebels retreated into the jungle. Sunday's clash was the first between the two sides in a more than a week.

23 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Volcano Erupts In Central Philippines

Shaking the ground for miles around, a volcano erupted in the central Philippines on Sunday. Authorities said thousands of residents were ordered to leave their homes. At least 6,000 villagers living within five miles of the Mayon volcano fled their homes on Sunday. At least 4,000 others in the path of the lava were ordered out as well.

The volcano has been erupting gently for some days, with lava steadily spouting out of the crater, huge red hot boulders have been rolling down the flanks of the mountain, and columns of ash have been ejected into the air. But on Sunday at 1300 hours local time (0500 GMT), the volcano let out a powerful eruption, with huge geysers of rocks, lava and flaming ash shooting up from the crater in loud booms. Scientists warn that there could be a more explosive and hazardous eruption any time in the next few days...

19 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Military Says It's Closing In On Rebels

The Philippine military said on Tuesday it has pinpointed Muslim extremist kidnappers in a southern jungle and were moving in for an attack, despite the guerrillas' call for negotiations. National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said on national television: "It's still a game of hide and seek, but their world is getting smaller and smaller. We have located them and our troops are closing in."

Government officials received new demands by the rebels to bring in new negotiators and abandon the army's pursuit in exchange for the release of two more hostages. Golez says the new demands will be rejected. The new demands were made in a letter to President Gloria Arroyo, delivered last Saturday by one of three Philippine hostages released by the rebels, Francis Ganzon. When he delivered the rebels' letter, Ganzon told the army he thought the American hostage, Guillermo Sobero, was dead.

The government denied reports that the families of the three freed hostages had paid the rebels ransom for their release. In the letter to Arroyo, rebel leader Abu Sabaya asked that Justice Secretary Hernando Perez be appointed negotiator in talks with the Abu Sayyaf. The government has not responded yet.

It is believed that the Abu Sayyaf have split the hostages into several groups, and it was not clear how many captives were being held by the rebels in the southern jungle that the soldiers had closed in on. About 5,000 troops have been deployed in the mountains and jungles in the pursuit of the rebels.

17 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Officials Say They Now Believe That U.S. Hostage Was Killed

ZAMBOANGA -- Philippine officials are now saying that they now believe that Muslim Abu Sayyaf guerillas may have killed American hostage Guillermo Sobero. The statement comes following a debriefing of other hostages who were released, according to presidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao. Abu Sayyaf guerrillas said on June 12 they had beheaded Sobero, but Philippine officials said that they doubted the accuracy of the claim until today. Three Americans and 17 Filipinos were abducted by Abu Sayyaf rebels, from the Dos Palmas tourist resort on Palawan island, on 27 May 2001. The guerillas have been on the run from several battalions of Philippine troops since then.

14 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Deny Killing Cleric: Philippine Govt. Declares "All Out War" on Abu Sayyaf

As officials on the island of Basilan said on Wednesday they had discovered the headless body of Mohaimin Sahi Latip, Muslim rebels holding about 28 hostages in the southern Philippines denied killing a Muslim cleric who had privately tried to negotiate the release of the captives. A spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf rebels called a local radio station to say the cleric was being held as a hostage and could not be released because it would give away the rebels' position. The government has said it has ended negotiations with the separatist rebels and will now focus only on hunting them down.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said: "There's no point in talking anymore. It's all-out war." Government troops deployed on Basilan have not yet been able to locate the rebels or the body of an American hostage they claim to have beheaded. Rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya claimed on Tuesday they had carried out their threat to decapitate Sobero, accusing the government of being insincere in negotiations.

Mohaimin Sahi Latip contacted the rebels in an unofficial attempt to negotiate the hostages' release, and has been missing since last week. Officials say his is one of three headless bodies found on the island on Wednesday. President Gloria Arroyo has deployed thousands of troops on the island and has pledged to "cleanse" the area of Abu Sayyaf rebels.

In other, possibly related, news, gunmen seized a Malaysian vessel off Borneo Island and took it across the border to the Philippines. The military said Thursday it has ruled out the involvement of the Abu Sayyaf. The vessel was hijacked on Wednesday afternoon off the Sabah port of Sandakan, and found abandoned in the Turtle Islands group just north of the Philippine sea border. The pirates were believed to be hiding on nearby Baguan Island.

The Malaysian coast guard said "ordinary sea robbers" armed with M-16 rifles commandeered four fishing boats. Nine crew members from three vessels were released unharmed after the boat owners paid a whole US$132 for the vessel. The owner of the remaining vessel was still negotiating with the hijackers for the release of the boat and crew. While the Malaysians referred to fishing boats, officials in the Philippines described the vessel found on the Turtle Islands as a barge. The vessel was taken in an area that was a "frequent place for piracy."

12 June 2001

PHILIPPINES

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

Philippine Rebels Say They Beheaded American Hostage

Despite a concession by the Philippine government, Muslim rebels claimed on Tuesday that they beheaded one of three American hostages and threatened to kill more of their captives on a jungle-covered island. Abu Sabaya, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, said the rebels killed Guillermo Sobero because they doubted the sincerity of a government offer to give in to the single demand they have made during a violent hostage crisis now in its third week. The Philippine army said it was unable to verify the claim that the American had been killed and noted that Abu Sayyaf has engaged in "misinformation" in the past. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo immediately called an emergency cabinet meeting after the claim by the Abu Sayyaf.

The spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf rebels said that the execution was an "independence day present" for the government. He said the rebels had taken the action because the government was not taking the rebel's threats seriously. Abu Sabaya said: "Look for his head in Tuburan." Tuburan is a town on the southern island of Basilan. Tuesday is the 103rd anniversary of the Philippines' declaration of independence from Spain. On Monday President Arroyo appeared to have averted a beheading of a hostage by agreeing to the demands of the kidnappers' for Malaysian negotiators to be brought in. She has refused to call off a military assault on the rebel stronghold of Basilan Island in the southern Philippines.

Also on Monday, rebels seized another group of 15 hostages. Four children, including two 12 year-olds, were among the new hostages. They were seized when rebels raided a coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan. The original group of hostages, including the three Americans and at least ten Filipinos, were snatched from a luxury resort off the southern island of Palawan on 27 May.

11 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Execution Of American Hostage Delayed By Rebels

The Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group delayed the beheading of an American hostage among a group held captive for two weeks and attacked a plantation and abducted more people on Monday. The Abu Sayyaf had set a noon deadline to kill at least one of its three U.S. hostages. Minutes before the deadline, the Philippine government agreed to bring in a Malaysian negotiator who had helped broker a similar hostage crisis a year ago.

Four children, including two 12-year-olds, were among the new hostages. They were seized when rebels raided a coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan. The owners and a security guard were also taken, and two buildings, including a chapel, were burnt down during the raid.

Military officials on Basilan said Abu Sayyaf were trying to split the army forces by carrying out "diversionary operations." The military has warned the rebels that there could be reprisals against their relatives if the hostages are harmed.

The Philippine government - which had refused to negotiate with the rebels - rejected suggestions it had buckled to terrorist blackmail on Monday. But the agreement to send former Malaysian senator Sairin Karno as a mediator marks a sharp change of policy. A businessman, Yusuf Hamdan, said he would also accompany Sairin if the Malaysian government approved. Hamdan said he had had a telephone conversation with the rebel leader, Abu Sabaya, earlier on Monday, pleading for the life of the American captives.

09 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Search For Muslim Rebels As Deadline To Kill Hostages Nears

As special agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived in the southern Philippines FBI agents to discuss the latest hostage crisis with authorities, government troops continued to search a jungle-covered island on Saturday for Muslim extremists who have threatened to kill three American captives unless their demands are met. For a third straight day, the military found no sign of the Abu Sayyaf rebels on Basilan Island. The rebels, holding 13 hostages, have apparently split up in the dense jungle to escape their pursuers.

Meanwhile, three FBI agents arrived in the city of Zamboanga, across a strait from Basilan, to discuss the crisis with police and military officials. The U.S. Embassy has said the agents are only offering technical advice and are not participating in the hostage hunt. 

Speaking to a radio station by telephone on Thursday, rebel leader Abu Sabaya threatened to "chop the heads off the Americans in 72 hours" unless the Philippine government appoints two Malaysian negotiators to mediate their release. The Philippine government has vowed not to offer ransom for the hostages.

The Abu Sayyaf has repeatedly vowed to kill foreign hostages in the past but has not carried out the threat. The Malaysians Sabaya wants as mediators, lawmaker Sairin Karno and merchant Yusof Hamdan, were involved in negotiations last year when the Abu Sayyaf released foreign hostages taken from a Malaysian resort, reportedly for millions of dollars in ransom. Several hundred fresh troops arrived Friday on Basilan, 560 miles south of Manila, to join the search...

05 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Army Clashes With Rebels

Amid reports that the rebels have made contact with a government negotiator in an attempt to end the standoff, security forces have clashed with Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels who are holding a number of hostages on the southern island of Basilan. The military said two soldiers were killed during the shootout which ensued when the army - which had lost the rebels after a battle on Sunday - tracked them down on the lower slopes of a mountain on Basilan. The army said it believed that all the remaining hostages were still alive. A spokesman for the Philippines president said that one of the rebel leaders, Abu Sabaya, made contact with a government-designated intermediary.

04 June 2001

PHILIPPINES: 

Army Loses Rebels Trail

After they escaped a shootout over the weekend, dragging hostages with them into the jungle, the Philippines military has admitted losing track of a group of Abu Sayyaf rebels. An army spokesman said the rebels were in the jungle somewhere near the town of Lamitan on the southern island of Basilan, but their exact location remains unknown. Troops are looking for them.

A military spokesman urged the government in Manila to declare a state of emergency. He said the 100 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas would be using a network of sympathizers and supply caches to make their way through the jungle. He said that they would probably be aiming to escape to their main base on Jolo island...

03 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Bodies Of Two Hostages Found

The bodies of two hostages held by Muslim extremists were found on Sunday after a group of rebels escaped from a hospital where they had been besieged by government troops, taking several captives with them. One of the corpses was headless. About 60 Abu Sayyaf rebels used their hostages as human shields to flee the hospital on Basilan Island when 100 other guerrillas attacked soldiers from a nearby jungle, inflicting heavy casualties. The military said the terrorists took three American hostages with them.

At least five Filipino captives escaped during the fighting between the rebels and government troops. But officials say they found the bodies of two Filipino hostages left behind by the rebels. One had been beheaded.

Police said the two men had been killed a day or two earlier, probably as the army pursued the kidnappers into the town of Lamitan, on Basilan Island, on Friday. Hundreds of government troops had besieged them at a hospital and church compound. A spokesman for the Philippines' armed forces said 12 soldiers, including an army captain, were killed and many others wounded in the failed siege.

The rebels staged their break-out during the night, leaving a few members of their group behind to keep the troops at bay. Abu Sayyaf were reported to have seized more hostages on Saturday when they moved into Lamitan, about 550 miles south of Manila.

02 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Military Battles Kidnappers

Government security forces attacked a hospital where dozens of Muslim extremists were barricaded with captives on Saturday, pounding the building with rockets and machine-gun fire in an effort to end the latest hostage crisis and destroy the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

In one attack, at least two helicopter gunships fired at the hospital nonstop for 30 minutes as ground troops targeted the building from surrounding streets. Witnesses said at least one of the hostages inside was an American. Other reports said all three were there. Officials said about 40 Abu Sayyaf rebels were holding doctors and patients in the hospital on Basilan Island, along with some of the 20 hostages that members of the extremist group seized Sunday at a resort hundreds of miles away across the Sulu Sea.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels say they are holding 200 people captive in a church and hospital in the town of Lamitan, about 550 miles south of Manila. Troops have surrounded the area, and are calling on the rebels to surrender. The government says six soldiers have been killed and 41 have been wounded in the military operations so far. There is no word on the rebel losses.

At least four Filipinos reportedly managed to escape in the confusion. There was no confirmed news on the whereabouts of the other 16 hostages. Three Filipino tourists, including an eight-year-old boy, and a hotel security guard kidnapped last Sunday managed to escape along with some of those captured in Lamitan earlier in the day.

President Gloria Arroyo announced on television on Saturday that the highest ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Khadaffy Janjalani, was killed in the battle with government troops on the southern island of Basilan. She said he was killed in the town of Tuburan in Basilan. Another Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sabaya, who also doubles as the group's spokesman, was wounded.

01 June 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Two Philippine Soldiers Reportedly Killed As Army and Kidnappers Clash; Two Hostages Wounded??

The military said that two soldiers were killed and 14 others were wounded when Muslim extremists holding three American tourists and 17 Filipinos hostage clashed on Friday. Government troops were said to be fighting a "running gun battle" with the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who were moving south on Basilan Island in the southern Philippines and were about four miles from the sea.

It was unclear whether the rebels also suffered losses in the clashes, which, according to the military, took place over several hours. A military spokesman said a "running firefight of that length must have resulted in heavy casualties" for the rebels. Rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya had earlier told a local radio station by telephone that two hostages had been hit in the assault, but did not identify them. Abu Sabaya reiterated the rebels' threat to kill hostages if attacked. He said: "Maybe we will stage an execution. Welcome to the party." The rebel also put one hostage on the phone, who appealed for the end to the military assault.

The military has pledged to continue the fighting, which began at around 07:00 hours local time on Friday (23:00 GMT on Thursday). Troops were said to be following the 100-odd rebels in rough jungle terrain, in a valley between mountains. The military said it had no information about the hostages and said the rebels were using grenade-launchers.

Observers saw helicopter gunships hammering Mount Sinangkapan on the island. At least four explosions were heard, and nearby residents said they heard howitzers fire 10 to 15 shells earlier in the day. The Muslim separatist group are reportedly well-equipped with bazookas, mortars and Uzi assault rifles - apparently bought last year with huge ransom payments from another high-profile hostage crisis, when foreign tourists were held for several months.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has made it clear that she would not negotiate with the rebels or pay a ransom for the return of the hostages. She has vowed to destroy the rebels, and the military deployed 5,000 troops on Thursday in an effort to find the guerrillas. 

31 May 2001

30 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

US Said To Offer Assistance In Hostage Crisis

As Philippine troops searched dozens of islands in the south of the country, United States officials called on President Gloria Arroyo to discuss the crisis and to offer assistance. The US has reportedly offered to help solve the Philippines hostage crisis in which 20 people, including three Americans, were seized from a beach resort in the south of the country. Officials did not provide details of how the US could assist, but said intelligence gathering rather than military aid would be given.

The Philippines government has deployed troops to find the hostages, who were seized by Abu Sayyaf gunmen from the Dos Palmas resort on Palawan Island. Arroyo has refused to bargain with the hostage-takers, vowing to destroy the Abu Sayyaf. The rebels have reportedly split the hostages into three groups and taken the groups to different places...

29 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Lives Of Hostages Threatened By Philippine Extremists; Philippine President Vows to "Wipe Out" Terrorists

After the Philippine president vowed to crush the group, the Abu Sayyaf militants threatened to kill all 20 hostages it has if it spots the government trying to launch a rescue attempt. The Muslim extremist group snatched 20 people, including three Americans, from an island resort. The Philippine military said on Tuesday it was preparing troops to take action swiftly once it locates the kidnappers, who disappeared in boats speeding across the Sulu Sea after seizing the Americans and 17 Filipinos.

Abu Sabaya, a spokesman for the kidnapping group, was quoted as saying by a local radio station: "We will not think twice to have a mass killing of the hostages once the military will launch an all-out offensive." The manager of the station said that Abu Sabaya had admitted that his group was feeling the pressure of increased military operations.

On Monday, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo vowed to destroy the Abu Sayyaf and declared she would not let up until "you are wiped out or you surrender. I will finish what you started. Force against force. Arms against arms." The government also said no ransom would be paid, and that the only kind of negotiation would be for the unconditional release of the hostages.

The Philippine Government is offering a reward of just under US$2 million for information leading to the arrest of leaders and members of the group that carried out the kidnapping. A government spokesman said US$100,000 would be given to anyone who provided information leading to the capture of Abu Sayyaf leaders and US$20,000 to anyone who helped capture lower-ranking members of the group.

28 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Kidnappings Claimed By Muslim Extremists

Saying it was holding the captives on two islands in the southern Philippines, a Muslim extremist group claimed responsibility on Monday for abducting 20 people, including three Americans, from a luxury resort. One of the Americans went on radio to offer reassurances to relatives, in the first contact since armed gunmen snatched the tourists in a raid early Sunday morning. 

Abu Sabaya, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf separatists -- who last year kidnapped another group of foreign tourists -- told the radio that the hostages had been divided into two groups and taken to different islands in Basilan and Sulu provinces.

The government has refused to bargain with hostage-takers and instead has reportedly begun an operation to find the hostages, sending troops down to a remote southern island after gunmen were reportedly spotted there. A military spokesman said the mayor of the island town of Mapun, in the southwestern Tawi-Tawi archipelago, had alerted the authorities about sighting gunmen. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has spelt out her refusal to negotiate. National security advisor Roilo Golez said: "We will not allow a repeat of last year where ransom was paid. No ransom, no negotiation..."

27 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

21 People Kidnapped At Resort

The commander of the Philippines armed forces said that gunmen abducted about 20 people, including two American missionaries, at a resort on Sunday. The kidnappings occurred at the Dos Palmas Island Resort at Honda Bay in Palawan province, 375 miles southwest of Manila. About 20 unidentified men in ski masks took 17 guests and four resort staffers captive at gunpoint and fled aboard a motorboat. The guests were believed to include at least two Americans and 13 ethnic Chinese Filipinos, and at least one was a child.

A presidential spokesman said police had sighted the gunman and were "very confident that the kidnappers could be encircled and hostages released." Police said the gunmen launched their attack in the early morning. Analysts say kidnapping is a common crime in the Philippines, especially among the Islamic separatist rebels in the south.

Police said all other tourist resorts on Palawan had been put on alert and navy ships had stepped up security around the island. Authorities would not say whether the attackers were from Abu Sayyaf, which is based on the southern island of Jolo.

26 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Seven Killed As Government Troops Battle With Resort Attackers

A military official said on Saturday that seven people were killed as government soldiers clashed with gunmen who raided a southern Philippine resort four days ago, with the gang's hostages escaping during the fighting. The gunmen who raided one of the Philippine's top tourist resorts on Tuesday encountered pursuing troops on Friday, resulting in the death of five raiders and two soldiers. Three hostages being held by the gunmen -- villagers seized in the raid on Samal Island's Pearl Farm resort for use as human shields -- managed to escape during the fighting around the town of Malita. Many of the other raiders, who are though to be Muslim rebels, were also wounded in the fighting.

38 Hostages Released By Gunmen

In an incident that apparently was meant to avenge the deaths of gang members in recent clashes, armed men who seized a ferry with 42 people on board released all the passengers late Friday, but kept the four sailors. Attackers in five speedboats stormed the ferry Thursday off the small islands in the Basilan area, 620 miles south of Manila. Police said the abductors were likely members of Abu Sayyaf. The gang released the 38 passengers before midnight Friday but kept the captain and three crew members. Last month, several Abu Sayyaf members were killed in clashes with local militias.

23 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Gunmen Kill Two In Attack

In an attack on a tourist resort in the southern Philippines, two people have been killed. A group of eight men, armed with grenade launchers, attempted to storm the beach resort on Samal Island. Police said the raiders had apparently intended to steal two speedboats, but were foiled by a security guard. The attackers opened fire, killing the guard and one other resort worker. Police said they had not identified the group which carried out the attack, but were investigating the possibility that they were Muslim separatist rebels.

11 May 2001

PHILIPPINES

Mayoral Candidate Assassinated In Iloilo Province

In violence ahead of congressional and local elections, a mayoral candidate allied with President Gloria Arroyo was shot and killed on Friday in a central Philippine town. The victim was shot with a .45 caliber pistol allegedly by his opponent, the incumbent mayor in the town of San Joaquin in Iloilo province. The victim, a member of the Reporma (Reform) Party, had just returned home at dawn from a rally when a carload of armed men headed by the current mayor arrived at the house which also served as his headquarters.

The victim went out to confront the group and was shot at close range. He suffered head and body wounds and died while being treated at a hospital. The mayor turned himself in to police. The attack brought the death toll in the run up to Monday's elections to 51, with at least 69 people wounded. 

06 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Thirty Injured In 2nd Manila Mall Blast

About 30 people were reportedly injured after an explosion ripped through a crowded shopping mall in the Manila suburb of Quezon City. It was reported that the blast was caused by a hand grenade. The explosion happened on the eve of a televised speech by President Gloria Macagapal Arroyo on the security situation in the country.

A presidential palace spokesman said Arroyo planned to announce the lifting of the state of rebellion which she imposed last week to quell what she said were plots to overthrow her government. Police said they had no immediate reports on what had caused the explosion, but the Manila radio station dzMM said it had occurred while a gang of thieves were robbing a jewelry shop in the Farmers Plaza mall. The explosion was followed by bursts of gunfire.

03 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Clash Near Estrada Jail Leaves Three Communist Rebels Dead

A police official said on Thursday that three suspected communist guerrillas were killed in a clash with police near a special prison where ex-president Joseph Estrada is detained. Police assigned to secure the perimeter of the prison south of Manila clashed with armed men believed to be members of the New People's Army shortly after President Gloria Arroyo visited Estrada in his cell.

U.S. Embassy Issues Warden Message For Manila

On 1 May 2001, the U.S. Embassy in Manila issued the following Warden Message for Manila: "There have been violent demonstrations in Manila in the area of Malacanang (presidential palace). Two police officers have been reported killed and authorities have said they will disperse the demonstrators.

Due to the unpredictable nature of the demonstrations and the potential for further violence, Americans in Manila are urged to exercise caution in their movements and avoid unnecessary travel. The Embassy reminds Americans to avoid areas where there are demonstrations and rallies, specifically the EDSA shrine and the Malacanang palace area. Americans should also closely monitor the media for more information."

02 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Riots In Manila End??

At least six people were killed and the government declared a "state of rebellion" after violent riots in Manila on Tuesday. On Wednesday, relative calm returned to Manila's streets. But residents expressed fear of more violence and shock at the bloodshed as supporters of ousted President Joseph Estrada clashed with security forces at the presidential palace.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared the state of rebellion - two constitutional steps short of martial law. Arroyo threatened a swift response to any attempt to rekindle Tuesday's violent protests. Arroyo ordered police to break up any group of more than five people near the palace.

On Tuesday, the president ordered the arrests of 11 opposition leaders, four of whom were in custody Wednesday on accusations of inciting riots. Arroyo said some business leaders accused of financing Estrada's supporters also will be arrested. Five civilians and one policeman were killed and more than 100 injured in Tuesday's violence.

01 May 2001

PHILIPPINES:

President Declares "State Of Rebellion"

After clashes between police and backers of ousted President Joseph Estrada killed at least four people, the government declared a state of rebellion and ordered the arrest of key opposition figures Tuesday.

A government spokesman said: "This is not just a demonstration. This is a rebellion." He said the declaration by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, restricted to Manila, gives her greater power to halt rebellion but he did not say what those powers are. It also gives the military greater freedom to help police quell protests.

At least four people lost their lives on Tuesday as thousands of Estrada supporters, armed with rocks and clubs, fought with police around the presidential palace. Fighting subsided in the afternoon after many protesters backed off, setting fire to a backhoe, four vans, a police car and a fire truck in their path.

An opposition leader was arrested, hours after thousands of protesters tried to storm the presidential palace in the capital, Manila. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is being linked to an alleged plot to topple President Gloria Arroyo. At least two policemen and a protester were killed during the bloody pre-dawn clashes on Manila's steets between security forces and thousands of supporters of ousted president Joseph Estrada .

Arrest orders have also been issued for several other opposition figures known to be close to Estrada, whose arrest on corruption charges last week sparked massive protests, with calls for the resignation of Arroyo and the release of Estrada. Those on the arrest list reportedly include former national police chief Panfilo Lacson, Senator Gregorio Honasan, former ambassador to the United States Ernesto Maceda, and two active-duty generals. Enrile, a former defence minister who has been identified with right-wing military factions, has denied the accusation.

In Manila, calm has reportedly been restored, following the use of tear gas and water cannon to disperse pro-Estrada crowds. The army says it will do what it takes to defend her government...

*****

21:30CDT - 30 Apr 2001

At Least Three Dead As Protests Outside Manila Palace Worsen

Manila, Philippines (Emergencynet News) -- Two police officers and one protestor are believed to have have died as protestors attempted to storm the presidential palace early on Tuesday morning. Manila hospitals report that at least 16 people have been wounded, including eight struck by gunfire.

According to eyewitnesses, military personnel and police officers fired numerous warning shots into the air and tear gas was fired into the crowd in an effort to disperse the crowd.  Officials said that between 10,000 and 20,000 people were in the vicinity of the presidential compound and demanding that former President Joseph Estrada be released from custody.  Estrada was reportedly flown to a maximum security detention center at Laguna City, 30 miles south of Manila, as the protests began in earnest.

The situation in Manila is described as "tense," as authorities wait to see how many additional protestors show up for scheduled Labor Day rallies on Tuesday, and what additional actions they might take. Concerns have also been raised about possible terrorist events associated with the communist New People's Army.  EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in the Philippines closely and will provide additional updates as the circumstances warrant...

30 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Demonstrations; Situation Tense in the Philippines

About 200,000 supporters of ousted President Joseph Estrada peacefully gathered in Manila today, demanding that police release Estrada from jail. This follows several days of demonstrations, which have included tens of thousands of Estrada's supporters. In response to the demonstrations, President Gloria Arroyo warned Estrada's supporters that police will use force to maintain order in the capital. Estrada urged his supporters to continue to demonstrate. Meanwhile, security officials claim to be investigating a coup plot against the government, although, in the past, such rumors surfaced often in the Philippines.

29 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

At Least 30 Wounded In Manila Mall Explosion

At least 30 people were reported wounded in an explosion apparently caused by a grenade that ripped through a mall in the Manila area on Sunday. Some witnesses described two separate blasts during the incident. Police and radio news reports said the explosion happened on the ground floor of the Ever Gotesco Grand Central mall in suburban Caloocan City. Interior Secretary Jose Lina said the explosion may had been a terrorist act.

28 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Australians Advised Of Security Situation

On 27 April, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued the following updated Travel Information for the Philippines: 

"Australian travellers to the Philippines should maintain a high level of personal security awareness and monitor developments that may affect their safety. Australian travelers are advised to avoid travel to areas of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines, where military operations continue and there is a risk of politically motivated violence including kidnappings and bombings. Travel after dark in rural areas should be avoided. While the security situation in the Philippines has improved there remains a risk of politically motivated violence in parts of the country posed by insurgent and separatist groups.  Australians should be aware that there is a risk that the activities of these groups, including kidnap for ransom, may spread to other areas including tourist destinations in the Philippines. 

In the lead-up to the elections and in the current political climate associated with the legal action against former president Estrada, Australians are advised to avoid large gatherings and political rallies. Insurgent groups continue to be active in some rural areas and larger regional centers. Travelers should be aware that during 2000 there were a number of bombings in shopping malls, on public transport and other public places in Manila as well as in provincial areas. Foreigners have been the specific targets of kidnappings. In particular, Australians should avoid all travel to the Sulu Archipelago, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Maguindanao, and parts of the Zamboanga peninsula. The situation in other parts of Mindanao is unpredictable and Australians who do not have up to date local knowledge or contacts should defer travel to those areas. All Australian travellers and residents in Mindanao should exercise extreme care, keep themselves informed of developments that might affect their personal safety and remain vigilant to their surroundings. They should avoid large crowds and public gatherings, keep a low profile, and vary routes and time of travel." 

23 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES ...

Police Chief Killed In Rebel Ambush

Officials said that Communist rebels shot and killed a provincial police chief on Monday. Superintendent Andres Santos was driving his jeep through a town in Agusan del Sur province on southern Mindanao Island when several guerrillas opened fire, killing him. The attackers fled after taking the officer's rifle, a pistol and his money.

19 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Pre-Election Attacks Leave 11 Dead

Police said on Thursday that 11 people were fatally shot by gunmen. Among the dead were two town mayors. Five politicians were said to had been kidnapped in outbreaks of violence ahead of next month's legislative and local elections. Police said the 11 people had been killed in the past 48 hours, most of them by communist rebels.

12 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

U.S. Hostage Rescued

Government officials said on Thursday that troops rescued US hostage Jeffrey Schilling held by Muslim guerrillas for more than seven months on the southern island of Jolo. Schilling, who was rescued on Thursday afternoon on Jolo where he was kidnapped in August by Abu Sayyaf rebels, will be flown to the northern city of Baguio to meet President Gloria Arroyo. No details were immediately available about the condition of Schilling, who the rebels had threatened to behead. 

10 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Surrender Or Die; President Tells Rebels

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday told Muslim rebels who are holding an American hostage to surrender or die. Saying there will be no letup in a military operation, she said: "I am not a happy warrior. But if this is what the situation calls for to defend the lives of our people and to pursue peace and order, so be it. To the Abu Sayyaf, I say to them, if you still value your life, surrender now."

08 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Troops Clash With Abu Sayyaf Guerrillas

The military said on Sunday that government troops captured 13 Muslim rebels in a clash with a rearguard unit of the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas holding U.S. hostage Jeffrey Schilling. The encounter took place early on Saturday in the village of Talipao on Jolo Island, several miles from the village where Schilling is believed to be held. It was the first clash between soldiers and the Abu Sayyaf since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on 2 April ordered an all-out offensive against the group operating in the jungles of Jolo, 600 miles south of Manila.

Army commandos broke through the guerrillas' outer defenses early on Saturday, seized several houses they occupied and captured 13 rebels, wounding one after a shootout. A number of rebels escaped, and the government forces suffered no casualties. In a separate operation, soldiers on Saturday occupied an abandoned Abu Sayyaf base on Basilan Island, near Jolo.

02 Apr 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Government Declares All-Out War On Abu Sayyaf

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Monday she had ordered the armed forces to launch an "all-out war" against Islamic rebels who have threatened to behead a U.S. hostage. Arroyo told a news conference: "Today, I have ordered an all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf. They will be annihilated."

When asked what her government would do if the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf group carried out its threat to behead American Jeffrey Schilling and present his head to Arroyo as their birthday present to her, she replied: "I warn the Abu Sayyaf not to harm the hostage."

Earlier on Monday, an Abu Sayyaf spokesman said on local radio the group would behead Schilling on Thursday and present his head to Arroyo as a birthday present if the government did not agree to the rebels' demand for Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Manila to negotiate with them. The Abu Sayyaf threat against Schilling came a week after Arroyo announced her government would resume peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main group fighting for a separate Muslim state in the south.

28 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Officials Say China Flooding Philippines With Drugs

Philippines' national security adviser Roilo Golez says that a large percentage of the illegal drugs entering his country come from China. He said about US$1 billion worth of the drug methamphetamine hydrochloride is allegedly smuggled in from China each year, about a fifth of the total value of the narcotics trade in the Philippines. Golez also suggested that some members of the Chinese military are involved in running drug manufacturing plants in China's coastal provinces.

27 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Government Orders Army To Assist Against Kidnapping Wave

In an effort to calm investor fears the nation's reputation as Asia's kidnap capital, the Philippine government is ordering the army to assist in curbing an upsurge in kidnapping. Presidential national security adviser Roilo Golez said on Tuesday the areas of cooperation between the armed forces and the police in combating the menace of organized crime, including kidnap syndicates, would be agreed upon this week.

The decision to launch the anti-crime unit was prompted by a recent wave of kidnappings, whose victims included two Taiwan citizens abducted near the Manila airport after arriving in the Philippines in late January. One of the victims was freed after the gang robbed her of cash and jewelry while her male companion was fatally shot and his body dumped by the side of a road.

At least 16 kidnap-for-ransom incidents have been reported since The new adminstration took office on 20 January. The victims have ranged from foreigners to local businessmen and children of rich ethnic Chinese families.

23 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Police Rescue Kidnapped Indian National

Officials said on Friday that police rescued an Indian man who was kidnapped by a locally-led kidnap-for-ransom gang. The elite presidential anti-organized crime task force also recovered ransom worth US$30,200 that was paid for the release of the victim by his family. Personal details about the victim who was rescued Thursday five days after his abduction in the city of Tarlac, north of Manila, were not immediately available. A government statement said the rescue took place even though the man's family refused to cooperate with the authorities and paid the ransom demanded by the five-member kidnap gang.

11 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Communist Attack Leaves Two Soldiers Wounded

The military said on Monday that two soldiers were wounded by communist guerrillas who ambushed an army patrol in the northern Philippines on the eve of a month-long truce declared by President Gloria Arroyo. One of the two army special forces casualties was in critical condition after the Sunday morning New People's Army (NPA) attack near the town of Bontoc.

The NPA mounted the ambush a day before the start of a 30-day unilateral truce declared last week by Arroyo over another area of the country. The ceasefire covers 11 provinces south of the capital.

07 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Nine Killed Ahead Of General Elections

The country's police chief said on Wednesday that at least nine people have been killed and 11 others were wounded in political violence since campaigning began this year for Philippine general elections in May. On 14 May, more than 17,000 elective posts will be up for grabs, including 13 seats in the 24-member Senate and all 250 posts in the House of Representatives. More than 500 municipalities and cities have been classified as "critical areas" where violence are likely to occur.

The "critical areas" include places influenced by communist or Muslim separatist rebels and those where private armies controlled by political warlords are known to operate. The latest election-related crime occured on Monday when alleged hired killers of a local official took the life of a mayoral candidate in the town of Pantao Ragat on the southern island of Mindanao. The suspects remain at large.

Police said election-related violence could escalate. Armed forces deputy chief Lieutenant General Jose Calimlim said soldiers will also be deputized as election inspectors and election officers in some areas in Mindanao, where Muslim and communist insurgents are waging rebellions. Calimlim said 91 "private armies" controlled by politicians are a threat to peace.

01 Mar 2001

PHILIPPINES: 

2 Dead in Prison Escape; Communist Guerilla Leader Gone Missing

Prison officials said on Thursday that 61 convicts, many of them incarcerated for rape and murder, escaped from a jail in the southern Philippines after digging a tunnel to freedom from their cell block. Of those who escaped from the district jail in the province of Agusan del Sur during a rain storm on Wednesday night, nine were recaptured and two were shot and killed by guards. The mass escape began after dinner and lasted until about midnight. A high-ranking member of the communist New People's Army was among the escapees, a police spokesman said. Only one person at a time could pass through the tunnel, which apparently had been built over several months. 

McQuillan added that the police were treating the matter "very seriously." He added that there were two investigative teams working on the case. The senior officer explained: "One team is working to trace these people and warn them that this information is in the possession of these groups and the other is actively investigating what these people were doing with this material and what intentions they had of using it..."

10 Feb 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Kidnap Gangs Cash In On Switch Of Government

An anti-crime group said on Thursday that kidnap gangs have taken advantage of the transition period resulting from the Philippines' change in government to seize at least 11 victims, including two Taiwanese. The Malaya newspaper reported that the spate of kidnappings, said to involve mostly Chinese victims, has unnerved the Chinese-Filipino community.

Tessie Ang See, a leader of Citizens' Action Against Crime, said: "With the new government, the criminals are cashing in. They are taking the opportunity in the believe that if things improve, they won't have a chance anymore." President Gloria Arroyo named a new national police chief after she took office last month. She then replaced key officers and changed the leadership of the presidential anti-kidnapping task force.

The spate of kidnappings took place between 29 January and 2 February as the new officials were settling into their jobs. One victim, a Taiwanese, was found dead on 31 January with two gunshot wounds.

Webposted: 06 Feb 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Government Rejects Talks With American's Kidnappers

The Abu Sayyaf on Monday demanded talks with a member of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's cabinet over the fate of kidnapped American Jeffrey Schilling. But the president's most senior adviser immediately rejected fresh negotiations with the Muslim rebel kidnappers who are holding the American hostage. The kidnappers have threatened to execute Schilling if their demands are not met.

Arroyo's chief aide Executive Secretary Renato de Villa said in a radio interview: "This is a group of killers, bereft of any ideology. We are not going to negotiate with them, that is the government policy with regard to these kind of people." De Villa is a retired general.

Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya said earlier Monday: "It is better to kill him, if they don't want to negotiate." He told a local radio station that his group wanted to negotiate with Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon. But Gordon told the station they should surrender first. The terrorist spokesman added: "Let this be a warning because once we set the date of the execution, then there will be no stopping."

Sabaya claimed that Schilling's health was rapidly deteriorating. He said: "Jeffrey is very sick and continues to cough blood. He is not eating anymore..."

03 Feb 2001

PHILIPPINES: 

Military Rescues Kidnapped British National 

Military officials said on Saturday that the kidnapped six-year-old stepdaughter of a British national was rescued by soldiers on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. Eiman April Azzam Grant, who was abducted by four armed men in January, was freed late on Friday after her captors fled as soldiers closed in on them.

Contrary to previous reports, a military spokesman said that there was "no link" between the kidnappers and the Abu Sayyaf Muslim fundamentalist group which took more than 40 foreigners and Filipinos hostage last year. Soldiers found the girl in Kasanyangan, a coastal village in the southern province of Basilian, 570 miles south of the capital Manila. Her abductors fled as troops closed in on them and soldiers recovered the girl at around 2300 hours local time on Friday. The girl was in good health.

Authorities said the girl's kidnappers had learned that her mother had won cash worth US$9,183 in a promotion campaign by an international magazine, which also stated that the mother could win a large amount of further money. The story was circulated widely in the province. Authorities have also linked the abduction to people with apparent links to the family.

30 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

New MILF Bombing Plot Revealed

The Manila Times newspaper reported on Monday that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has fielded at least five special operations groups in various urban centers in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City to launch another round of bomb attacks and other forms of atrocities. The paper said that the information came from police sources on Sunday.

Chief Superintendent Manuel Raval, Central Mindanao police director, revealed the alleged Moro separatist plot as Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza announced a review of arrest orders issued against MILF leaders by the administration of deposed president Joseph Estrada. Dureza said the review is part of President Macapagal-Arroyo's thrust to initiate progress based on peace and justice.

Raval said the new terrorist plot was uncovered after the recent surrender of an alleged member of the MILF-SOG. The 19-year-old suspect claimed to be among the dozens of operatives dispatched to stage bomb attacks, kidnappings, harassment and assassinations. He reportedly admitted being a member of a team assigned to kill General Santos City's acting mayor. There was no independent verification of the police claims or an explanation for the reason behind a murder plot against the acting mayor.

The suspect claimed the terrorist plans were hatched at the MILF's Camp White Stone, in the hinterlands of Davao Oriental. The camp was where MILF Chairman Hashim Salamat sought refuge following the fall of Camp Abubakar, the separatist group's sprawling headquarters in Maguindanao. The self-confessed terrorist, however, did not accuse Salamat of presiding over the bombing plans.

More than a dozen bombs exploded in the city since May last year that left five people dead and about a hundred others wounded. Military and police authorities routinely blame the MILF for bombing incidents, including the deadly pre-New Year blasts in Metro Manila, but have yet to come up with clear proof. Rebels have denied the charges, insisting civilians are not part of their targets.

25 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Muslim Rebel Attack Leaves Four Dead And Nine Wounded

A military spokesman said on Thursday that four guerrillas were killed and nine other people were wounded after Muslim separatist rebels attacked a government project guarded by the army in the southern Philippines. A group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades and high-powered rifles at the compound of the private contractor to an irrigation project, as well as at an army battalion securing the site late Wednesday.

The rebels retreated as the army retaliated with mortar fire, leaving four guerrillas dead. A soldier and eight other people, mostly civilian workers for the construction firm, were wounded in the 15-minute firefight near the town of Ampatuan on Mindanao Island...

INSTANT 09:00CST - 20 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:  President Joseph Estrada quit on Saturday and the country's vice president replaced him in a finish to the Philippines' worst political crisis in more than a decade. The departure of the president came after tens of thousands of protesters pushed through police lines and marched close to the presidential palace to demand his resignation, and the Supreme Court said he no longer governed. The sudden shift in power came a day after Estrada's government collapsed amid a corruption scandal, fears of a coup and a collapsed impeachment trial.

*****

INSTANT 23:15CST - 19 Jan 2001

New Philippine President Reportedly Sworn In 

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- Reports coming in to the EmergencyNet News Watch Desk from both political and military sources now suggest that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has taken the oath of office to be the new President of the Philippines. 

The swearing-in ceremony reportedly took place after it became evident that Joseph Estrada could no longer negotiate a delay in leaving office. A spokesman for Estrada, Edgardo Angara, said that he "would accept the change in government," without further challenge. It is not currently known if Estrada will leave the country for Australia or the United States, as had been earlier rumored.    

Macapagal-Arroyo, the daughter of a former president, is reportedly supported by a group of varying interests, including big business, left-wing labor, and even communist forces. Shortly after taking her oath of office Macapagal-Arroyo issued a call to "begin the healing process." Her future legislative and administrative  agenda is not immediately apparent.

EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in the Philippines closely and will provide additional details as the circumstances warrant...      

*****

INSTANT 21:00CST - 19 Jan 2001 

Presidential Crisis Continues to Escalate in Manila

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- Pro and anti-Estrada protestors clashed outside the presidential palace early on Saturday as large crowds continued to demand the resignation of President Joseph Estrada. 

"Push is about to come to shove," experts say, as Vice-President Gloria Arroyo, the leader of the opposition party, is said to be preparing to be sworn in as president by the Philippine Supreme Court at about noon local time (0400 GMT), even if President Estrada has not formally resigned. 

President  Estrada is thought to be negotiating for a new election to be held in May, or even the possibility of being given a pardon -- should he choose to resign. But, either way, and barring some unforeseen circumstance, it appears that the presidential crisis will come to head sometime on Saturday in Manila. 

***** 

INSTANT 09:30CST - 19 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:  As fears of a coup gripped the Philippines, President Joseph Estrada suffered a major blow to his efforts to cling to power on Friday as his military commander resigned and joined tens of thousands of protesters demanding Estrada's ouster. The defense chief, General Angelo Reyes, appeared before tens of thousands of anti-Estrada demonstrators at a monument to the 1986 revolt that ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. At his side was Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, who just hours earlier had urged Philippine soldiers to stay out of the fray. Armored personnel carriers were also seen protecting the presidential compound. 

05:00CST - 19 Jan 2001

Philippines: Embattled Estrada Administration May be Over Soon??

Manila, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- Reports from Manila say that as many as 1/2 million people have taken to the streets to protest a "questionable outcome" of the recent impeachment trial of President Estrada. The action comes after 11 senators voted not to consider alleged evidence of  financial wrong-doing on the part of the embattled president of the Philippines. The evidence was later released by opposition senators and printed by the Philippine news media. 

The crisis deepened on Friday when the Philippine military reportedly withdrew their support for Estrada.  Additionally, as many as 20 government officials announced their resignation in the past 24 hours in protest of the impeachment outcome. Other government employees announced a walk out by Monday.  

Fears have also been expressed in the Manila press that protestors may today clash with supporters of President Estrada, resulting in a bloody confrontation...  

17 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Troops Repel NPA Attackers

Army and police troopers foiled an attempt by about 20 heavily armed members of the New People's Army (NPA) to attack the police station in Sta Ignacia, Tarlac, shortly before noon on Monday and killed 14 of them in a three-hour fierce gunbattle in barangay San Vicente in that town. Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the gunbattle, which started at about 1130 hours local time Monday, ended at about 1400 hours. There were no reported casualties on the government side. Recovered from the scene of the encounter were seven M-16 rifles, a grenade rifle, a Russian-made AK-47 rifle, a US Thompson sub-machinegun, an automatic carbine, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

16 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES: A police bomb squad on Monday defused an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) at a fast food booth near a train station in Manila after authorities received a bomb threat, which led them to the location of the device.

15 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Negotiations For Abducted British Stepdaughter Begins

Government troops on Sunday temporarily halted offensives on the southern Philippine island of Basilan to begin talks for the freedom of a Briton's stepdaughter abducted last week by Muslim extremists. Six-year-old April Adzam Grant has reportedly been turned over by her Abu Sayyaf captors to a guerrilla unit under Ayub Adjani of the larger separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the remote village of Pintasan on southern Basilan Island.

Emissaries have established contacts with the guerrillas, who kidnapped the girl at gunpoint on Wednesday from her home in the town of Lamitan town. Pintasan has been cordoned off to prevent the group from escaping. April's mother on Sunday is said to had warned her husband, Briton Douglas Abduallah Grant, against returning to Basilan in fear he might also be abducted. She said her husband, a Muslim convert, has expressed his desire to return to Basilan and swap himself for his kidnapped step-daughter.

13 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Troops Attack Muslim Rebel Camp

The military said on Friday that more than 1,500 soldiers backed by light tanks, helicopter gunships and artillery attacked a Muslim rebel headquarters after a five-day offensive in a southern Philippine jungle. Soldiers found ten dead rebels Thursday as they entered the sprawling camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) some 540 miles southeast of Manila in Mindanao region. The army said six soldiers were wounded. The fresh assault started last Sunday after President Joseph Estrada ordered a halt to peace overtures toward the rebel group. Police accuse the MILF of master-minding five bomb attacks that killed 22 and injured more than 120 in the Manila area during the New Year holiday.

12 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Abduct Girl

Military officials said that a 6-year old Filipino-British girl was abducted from her house late on Wednesday by four armed men suspected of belonging to a Muslim rebel group on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Authorities said that they have not firmly established the identity of the kidnappers but suspect members of Abu Sayyaf. Officials added, however, that they could not discount the possibility that the incident was perpetrated by the MILF or any other kidnap-for-ransom group in the province.

The kidnappers broke into a house in the southern province of Basilan, located south of the capital Manila, where April Adzam Grant and her mother were watching television. The home invaders first asked for water, and then demanded money but the woman had little. Armed with M-16 rifles, the suspects seized April at gunpoint and fled to a river where two motorboats were waiting.

09 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Muslim Separatists Increase Attacks In Southern Philippines

Military officials said on Tuesday that Muslim separatists accused of fatal bombings in Manila have increased their attacks against troops in the southern Philippines. Helicopter gunships have been sent to southern Lanao del Sur province, after some 500 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked army detachments in the area over the weekend.

Captain Alexis Bravo, operations head of the army unit in Lanao, said the rebels attacked army detachments in five rural towns in the province triggering clashes that left ten civilians and two government militias wounded. Reports from the military's southern command in nearby Zamboanga city said on Tuesday that sporadic clashes were also recorded in two other remote villages in Lanao del Sur.

The MILF is being blamed by authorities for the 30 December bombings in Manila that killed 22 people and wounded almost 100 others. The rebels have denied the accusations but government prosecutors on Monday brought murder charges on MILF chairman Hashim Salamat and six other rebel leaders and members in connection with the bombings. Police said they had evidence to prove the attacks were carried out by an MILF special unit composed of Afghan-trained fighters formed last year and later sent to Manila.

One of those charged, Ismael Abbas, was arrested by police in Manila four days after the bombings, although the others are believed to have already slipped out of the capital. Officials said police on Tuesday also raided a safehouse of another suspect in southern Davao city, where they recovered explosive devices and detonating cords...

07 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Clashes Erupt

Officials said on Sunday that three Muslim rebels were killed in fresh clashes with soldiers in the southern Philippines. The military's southern command said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces attacked Saturday a group of government militias in the town of Tubod in southern Lanao del Sur province. Soldiers were immediately sent to reinforce the militias, triggering an hour-long gunbattle that left at least three MILF rebels dead. Troops also bombarded with mortars an area controlled by the MILF in the town of Carmen in North Cotabato after the guerrillas harassed security forces. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

06 Jan 2001

PHILIPPINES:

Muslim Rebels Linked To Holiday Bombings

Police in the Philippines and Indonesia say that Muslim extremists suspected in holiday bombings in both countries may all have learned their deadly skills in Afghanistan. In the Philippines, the national police chief said Afghan-trained Muslim separatists were responsible for five New Year's holiday bombs that killed 22 people and injured more than 120 in metropolitan Manila.

In Indonesia, meanwhile, bombing suspect Dedi Mulyadi - being held for a string of deadly church bombings on Christmas Eve - told investigators that he and two accomplices learned bomb-making at an Afghan mujahedeen camp in the early 1990s. Eighteen people were killed and 84 badly injured in the blasts in nine Indonesian cities and towns on Christmas Eve.

Authorities said they were still unsure if the two Muslim groups are related, or the bombings were -- in anyway -- linked. On Friday, Philippine police charged the chairman of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Salamat Hashim, and six other rebels with murder for allegedly masterminding the bombings of a commuter train, a bus, the airport, a park and an abandoned gasoline station.

The director general of the Philippine police, Panfilo Lacson, said government soldiers who overran a rebel camp in November found plans for December bombings in Manila. Police said on Saturday they found and defused another powerful bomb in a shopping mall in the southern city of Davao.

On 29 Dec 2000, EmergencyNet News reported (see below); "Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) analysts hypothesize that attacks in Manila may have been scheduled to coincide with other Christmas [holiday] terrorist attacks in Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indonesia. It is not currently known if the various attacks were somehow "coordinated" by any sort of controlling authority, although at least one ERRI analyst is looking to Afghanistan for additional answers."

05 Jan 2000

PHILIPPINES:

14 Philippine Bombing Suspects Freed

The Philippine military said on Friday that it is freeing 14 of the 18 men arrested after a spate of deadly holiday bombings. Police said the raid that captured the men failed to nab the actual killers and may have driven them further into hiding. (Editor's Note: Maybe it was all the public warnings that claimed authorities were closing in on suspects?) Military Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes said the 14 men would be released later in the day. He refused to outline accusations against the other four but said soldiers seized an assault rifle, a pistol and two small caches of illegal drugs.

Police said on Friday they had identified the mastermind behind the bombings and linking them to Muslim separatists, not President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial. National police chief General Panfilo Lacson said the investigation indicated the bombings were related to the conflict on the southern island of Mindanao. Lacson said the police had pinpointed the group responsible for the attacks and identified the bombers, including their leader, based on photographs shown to witnesses.

Click here for a Series of EmergencyNet News "Real Time" Reports Concerning Multiple Bomb Attacks in Manila, Philippines - 30 Dec 2000

29 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Abu Sayyaf Leader Arrested While On Bombing Mission To Manila; Part of Larger Christmas Bombing Campaign?

Police said on Friday they foiled a planned bombing spree in Manila by the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group with the capture of a rebel commander and his aide. Hector Janjalani, whose brother was the founder of the Abu Sayyaf, was arrested on Thursday by elite government operatives at a shopping mall in Manila along with another rebel identified as Alsheed Alling Albani.

Police intelligence head Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales said: "Their arrest preempted a hideous terror plot to be carried out in the metropolis at the height of the Christmas season."

Janjalani had been involved in various violent attacks in the southern Philippines in recent years including the attack of the mainly-Christian town of Ipil in 1995 in which more than 50 people died. Military sources said he was reportedly elected as temporary chief of the Abu Sayyaf on 20 December. His brother, Khadaffy, is also a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf, which made headlines earlier this year after taking dozens of foreigners hostage and reportedly ransoming them off for millions of dollars.

Recovered from the arrested pair were hand grenades and rifles and sketches of possible bombing targets in Manila, as well as a plastic bag containing several grams of the banned drug methamphetamine.

Emergency Response & Research Institute (ERRI) analysts hypothesize that attacks in Manila may have been scheduled to coincide with other Christmas terrorist attacks in Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indonesia. It is not currently known if the various attacks were somehow "coordinated" by any sort of controlling authority, although at least one ERRI analyst is looking to Afghanistan for additional answers.

28 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Priest Reportedly Killed by Rebels

Officials said that a Roman Catholic priest was shot and killed by suspected Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines Thursday. The priest was gunned down on the island of Jolo, 600 miles south of Manila, by men suspected to belong to the Abu Sayyaf rebel militia. At least three people were wounded and one of the assailants was shot and killed by troops who were near the scene, in the center of the town of Jolo.

24 Dec 2000 - Christmas Eve

PHILIPPINES:

Suicide Bomber Killed In Attack On Movie Theater

Police said on Monday that a suspected suicide bomber was killed and five others were wounded when explosions rocked two movie theaters in the southern Philippine city of Cotabato on Sunday. The blasts occurred within 30 minutes of each other late Sunday, and the bomber in at least one of the movie houses apparently blew himself up when chased by building security personnel. No group immediately claimed responsibility for either attack.

Police went on full alert when the first of the two explosions ripped through the Sultan cinema in early evening, injuring two moviegoers. Security personnel at the other movie houses in the city of 250,000 began frisking moviegoers at the entrance. A suspicious package strapped on the midsection of one patron aroused their suspicion, but the man ran into a cinema building with the security men in pursuit. An explosion occurred and security men found the suspect dead, his midsection ripped open and both arms torn off. Three movie patrons also sustained burns and shrapnel injuries.

21 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES: 

Security Tightened Amidst Fears of NPA Holiday Attacks

Citing fears that members of the New People's Army (NPA) might attack facilities in or around the capital, police on Thursday announced that they would deploy an estimated 14,000 officers in Manila from 25 December until 1 January 2001. Furthermore, the NPA will celebrate the anniversary of its founding on 26 December. The NPA is the militant wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and is known to operate in the southern Philippines and in rural areas around the country.

18 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Government Says It "Will Not Negotiate" For Hostages

The Philippine government said on Monday it would not negotiate with Muslim rebels for the release of two remaining hostages, saying the only option was for the rebels to surrender. American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino Roland Ullah are the last of scores of people kidnapped since April by the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

The Department of National Defense said in a statement: "Our refusal to negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf is not only intended to dispel any apprehension that would-be negotiators might profit from it. It is intended to underline what should be a fundamental position of any government toward terrorist groups like the Abu Sayyaf."

The department said it would only consider negotiating with the rebels on possible surrender. It added in its statement: "Negotiations with such openly terrorist groups only embolden them to commit more violence." The statement was issued in response to a Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper report on Monday that Schilling wants the government to attempt to rescue him or to negotiate his release.

The government said the armed forces were still under orders to take military action against the Abu Sayyaf. The statement said: "There is no suspension of military operations against the Abu Sayyaf, not even during Ramadan. The military operations against the Abu Sayyaf will continue until they either surrender or are wiped out."

16 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Attack Leaves Three Dead

The army said on Saturday that three people were killed and five others were wounded when Muslim extremists opened fire on a heavily loaded motorcycle and sidecar taxi on a remote road in the southern Philippines. The Muslim secessionist group Abu Sayyaf likely was behind Thursday's attack. Two of the taxi's passengers were known for helping the army's counter-insurgency campaign and had received death threats from the Abu Sayyaf.

All the victims of the motorcycle ambush in the remote village of Lamitan, Basilan province, were civilians. The area where they were attacked is located about 550 miles south of Manila. The motorcycle was followed by several soldiers in another motorcycle taxi who were acting as bodyguards. However, the soldiers' taxi had mechanical troubles, and they had fallen behind the civilians at the time of the attack.

04 Dec 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Five Killed As Ex-Guerrillas Attack Army Convoy

The military said on Monday that renegade Muslim separatist guerrillas ambushed an army convoy on the southern Philippines island of Jolo, leaving at least five people dead and 26 others wounded. The perpetrators of Sunday's ambush near the town of Patikul are said to be members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who have refused to disarm after the group signed a peace treaty with the Philippine government in 1996. It was not known what provoked the MNLF attack.

About 40 gunmen ambushed an infantry unit which was tracking down remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, another Muslim separatist guerrilla group which is holding two hostages including an American citizen. The six-hour battle left two soldiers and two MNLF members dead and 24 other soldiers including one junior officer wounded. Aside from the military's toll, three other people were taken to the provincial hospital overnight Monday, one of whom later died. It was unclear whether any of the three were actually MNLF members.

28 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES

Eight Killed In Kidnapping

Police said on Wednesday that at least eight people were killed when government forces clashed with a group that abducted the wife of a businessman in the southern Philippines. The men, wearing ski masks, kidnapped a woman from her home in Alicia in Zamboanga del Sur province late Tuesday, and dragged her to waiting speedboats for an escape.

The kidnappers fired at villagers as they ran toward the boats, killing a militiaman and three civilians. Police and soldiers gave chase, killing four of the kidnappers at sea and recovering two of their speedboats. But those holding the victim escaped. No group claimed responsibility, but two rebel groups have been reported to operate in the area 500 miles south of Manila.

27 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Abu Sayyaf Renews Threat To Kill American Hostage

A senior government official said that Muslim extremist terrorists on Monday renewed a threat to behead an American captive held in the southern Philippines. Former chief hostage negotiator Robert Aventajado said Abu Sayyaf commander Abu Sabaya asked him to re-start negotiations for American Jeffrey Schilling, a 24-year-old tourist, who they abducted in August on southern Jolo Island.

Aventajado said: "He called me at about 10:00 this morning (0200 GMT). He asked for my help to start government negotiations, but I told him the president has already dismantled the negotiating team. I told him to let me se if I can do anything and asked him to call me in two days."

He said Sabaya told him he has also contacted a local television network for help and warned that his group would behead Schilling if the government did not negotiate for his release. Aventajado said Sabaya told him the guerrillas have now slipped out of Jolo Island and are on nearby Basilan Island with Schilling, who was earlier reported to be suffering from various illnesses.

18 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES: 

One Killed In Suspected Muslim Insurgent Bomb Attacks

The military said on Saturday that one person was killed and five others were wounded in two separate bomb attacks in the southern Philippines believed to have been perpetrated by Muslim separatist guerrillas. 

The first bomb, made out of a 60 mm mortar shell with a timing device, was planted in a trash can and went off late Friday, killing a 53-year-old man and injuring two others. The device was thought to have been planted by the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a guerrilla group which has been blamed for several similar public explosions in the southern Philippines.

Also on Friday, an unidentified man threw a grenade into a house in the town of Isulan in Sultan Kudarat province, wounding three people, all Christians. Although the bomber was not identified, the MILF is also suspected of being behind this incident, the third bombing in Isulan in recent weeks.

In a separate development, 21 MILF guerrillas surrendered to the government in the city of Marawi in central Mindanao province and on the island of Basilan on Thursday and Friday respectively, turning in 19 firearms.

15 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Seven Killed In Southern Philippines

Officials said on Wednesday that at least seven Muslim rebels holding an American and a Filipino hostage on a southern Philippine island were killed and ten surrendered as soldiers continued working to rescue the captives. Early on Wednesday, one member of the extremist Abu Sayyaf group was killed when a government patrol clashed with a rebel band in a remote village on Jolo Island. A day earlier, soldiers fought the rebels in the jungles near the town of Talipao, leaving six Abu Sayyaf members dead. One soldier was wounded. The rebels are still holding American Jeffrey Schilling and Filipino Roland Ulla captive. In an interview with the Radio Mindanao Network on Tuesday, Schilling, a Muslim convert from Oakland, California, said he is being kept in chains, has an infection in his leg and is losing hope that he will be released.

07 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Storm Jail And Free 68 Prisoners

Police said on Tuesday that Muslim rebels, armed with assault rifles and grenades, stormed a city jail in the southern Philippines and freed 68 prisoners, including several rebel commanders. One prisoner was killed while three guards and two civilians were wounded in the Monday night attack on the General Santos city jail housing about 400 inmates.

The assault was carried out by about 100 guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the biggest Muslim separatist group fighting for a separate state in the south of the mainly Catholic country. Police said the rebels fired rocket-propelled grenades to breach the concrete wall around the jailhouse and blasted the padlocks to the main prison building and the wards with mallets and gunfire.

The 20 outnumbered jail guards exchanged fire with the raiders but could not stop them from breaking into the wards to free their colleagues. Among those who escaped were a rebel commander and five followers involved in kidnapping-for-ransom activities and two guerrillas linked to two bomb attacks on southern Mindanao island earlier this year which killed five people and wounded 100. 

02 Nov 2000

PHILIPPINES:

MILF Carries Out Two Attacks

Muslim separatist rebels kidnapped an ethnic Chinese businessman and wounded five soldiers in two separate attacks in the southern part of the country Wednesday. The businessman was kidnapped in the town of Upi, in Maguindanao province. The soldiers sustained wounds during an attack by about 70 guerrillas in the town of Colombio, in Sultan Kudarat province. Both the kidnapping and the attack were carried out by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

In other militant news, the New People's Army (NPA), a communist guerilla group, hijacked and burned a bus in Atimonan, located east of Manila in the Quezon province on Thursday. The NPA is very active in the area, and commonly burns vehicles and construction equipment.

PHILIPPINES:

Mortars Hit Refugees On Hostage Island

Seven refugees were reported wounded when mortar shells struck an evacuation center during an army operation against Muslim rebels holding American and Filipino hostages. About 800 evacuees were housed in an elementary school building in the town of Patikul on Jolo Island in the southern Philippines when five rounds of mortar shells slammed into the school on Wednesday night. Two of the wounded evacuees were in serious condition.

It was not clear who fired the mortars but residents said they doubted the shells came from the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf rebels, who had been on the run since the military launched an offensive on their hideouts in mid-September.

23 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES: The Director General of the Philippine National Police warned his officers in Southern Tagalog on Friday to prepare for possible attacks from New People's Army (NPA) rebels against the Malampaya power plant, which provides nearly 65 percent of Luzon's power, and other fuel and power facilities in the province.

18 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Three Killed In Muslim Extremist Violence

Police and military said three rebels were killed and three civilians were wounded in fresh violence in the southern Philippines as an Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) mission arrived to look into a 1996 peace pact between the government and ex-Muslim separatists. Three guerrillas from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were killed and one was captured when the rebels attacked a government militia outpost in the town of Tulunan, North Cotabato province on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, an improvised bomb, believed planted by the MILF, tore through a lunchtime crowd in a restaurant in the town of Midsayap on Wednesday, wounding three civilians. Witnesses reported seeing a man leave a bag containing the bomb under a table at the restaurant. The suspect left just before the bomb, made from 60 mm mortar shells rigged to a timing device, went off.

Police also found a similar explosive device planted under a parked car at a commercial district in the nearby city of Kidapawan on Wednesday, which they later detonated.

15 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Several Suspected Muslim Rebels Arrested

An official said on Sunday that government troops arrested 36 people believed to be members or supporters of a Muslim rebel group that is holding four hostages, including an American. Soldiers found no hostages on Saturday in the raid on a house in the village of Bulangsi on Jolo Island, about 580 miles south of Manila. The arrested included seven children.

All 36 were believed to be either members or sympathizers of the Abu Sayyaf. Six other Abu Sayyaf guerrillas surrendered on Saturday to the military on Jolo, where government troops launched an assault last month to rescue hostages. More than 30 rebels have surrendered to the military in recent days and many more are expected to give up due to fatigue, hunger and lack of ammunition. The military says at least 129 rebels have been killed since the assault was launched on 16 September. Five soldiers and three militiamen have been killed and 16 soldiers injured in the attack on Jolo.

10 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Fifteen Muslim Kidnappers Surrender

As the Philippine military stepped up an assault on southern Jolo Island to rescue five hostages, 15 gunmen of a Muslim extremist group surrendered Tuesday. The Abu Sayyaf Muslim rebels surrendered unconditionally in a village near the town of Talipao, handing over 15 assault rifles.

The gunmen told the army they were farmers who had been enticed to join the Abu Sayyaf by promises of high salaries. Five guerrillas surrendered on Saturday and revealed to the military locations of certain hideouts and secret passageways of the kidnapping group.

Based also on "good intelligence leads," the military said it would be able to gradually limit the hiding places of the Abu Sayyaf. The 15 gunmen who gave up on Tuesday appeared exhausted, wore dirty clothes, and looked starved for sleep.

In a related development, two Malaysian businessmen reportedly arrived in the southern Philippine city of Zamboanga to convince a Chinese trader-friend of President Joseph Estrada to help negotiate with the gunmen for the freedom of the Malaysian hostages.

Government Braces For Muslim Rebel Attacks During OIC Mission

Philippine security forces are bracing for the possibility that the country's largest Muslim insurgent group will step up attacks during a fact-finding mission by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) next week. Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said: "I am sure they will make an attempt to make their presence felt during the OIC visit. Terrorism is the language of getting attention but we will be there, we will prevent these attacks."

A team from the 56-member international Islamic body will conduct a four-day probe from 16 October into the implementation of a 1996 peace pact signed between Manila and a former Muslim rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). 

09 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Six Muslim Kidnappers Reportedly Surrender

A military official said on Monday that six Muslim rebel kidnappers have surrendered amid a relentless army assault to rescue their five hostages. Three Abu Sayyaf members turned in their rifles in Luuk on the southern island of Jolo on Saturday and notified authorities there that more wanted to surrender.

Three other guerrillas followed suit that night, and the military said that there are many others who have sent messages about their desire to surrender. The Malaya newspaper reported Monday that Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya, whose faction holds American hostage Jeffrey Schilling, was among those who had put out feelers about surrendering.

Authorities said the search for the hostages was now concentrated in the central highlands of Jolo after the Abu Sayyaf units, who also hold three Malaysians and a Filipino, were driven from their hideouts elsewhere on the island.

08 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Three Killed Fighting Muslim Rebels

The military said on Saturday that three more soldiers were killed in battles between security forces and Muslim rebels holding five hostages on a southern Philippine island. The new deaths brought to eight the number of soldiers killed in the huge rescue operation, which was launched three weeks ago. About 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to various towns on southern Jolo Island to rescue three Malaysians, one American and one Filipino still in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf rebels.

The soldiers were killed in a clash with Abu Sayyaf rebels on Jolo on Friday. The government said at least 129 Abu Sayyaf members have been killed since the rescue operation was launched on 16 September...

04 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Five Killed In Bomb Attack On Police Outpost

A senior police official said that five people were killed on Tuesday after a bomb was thrown into a police outpost in the southern Philippine city of Pagadian. A policeman and two children were among those killed in the blast, which wounded two other children.

Muslim Rebel Leader Expected To Surrender

The military announced on Wednesday that a ranking commander of the Philippines' largest Muslim insurgent group has indicated he will surrender to armed forces chief General Angelo Reyes. Mulapandi Cosain Sarip, alias Commander Lupay, of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and about 500 of his guerrillas are to give themselves up to Reyes in southern Cagayan de Oro city on Thursday.

Major General Roy Cimatu, chief of the army's central command in the main southern island of Mindanao, said Sarip and his men would also surrender a cache of high-powered firearms. Sarip, who is also a local town mayor, is the chief of the MILF's national guard division operating in the Lanao provinces in central Mindanao which has helped carry out a series of bombings, killings and massacres in recent months.

He is the first MILF commander to surrender after President Joseph Estrada on Friday announced he would extend limited amnesty to Muslim guerrillas who had committed crimes in pursuit of their ideology in an attempt to lure them back to the peace table. 

03 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Government Vows To Hunt Down Abu Sayyaf Members

The Philippine government said on Tuesday that the kidnapping of civilians by Muslim rebels had wrought incalculable damage on the nation's economy and vowed to hunt them down relentlessly. It also said it had received information the Abu Sayyaf rebels planned to kidnap more people from neighboring Malaysia to replace the hostages they had lost in an 18-day-old military assault on their hideouts on southern Jolo island.

Defense Minister Mercado said the kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf had damaged the country's economy. He said: "It may not be possible to calculate how much they prevented in terms of investments in the country, the things they've done in terms of our tourism industry."

Despite military reports that the rebels were on the run, Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon voiced concern they would abduct people again. More than 120 rebels and four soldiers have died since the army offensive began on 16 September. Rebel losses included ten killed on Monday in a clash preceding the rescue of 12 evangelists.

02 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES

Success Recorded; Twelve Evangelists Rescued

Government officials said that 12 Filipino Christian evangelists held hostage for three months by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines have been rescued. The rescue followed the escape earlier in the day of one of the evangelists. The rebels are still holding an American and three Malaysians.

The 12 evangelists from the Jesus Miracle Crusade were abducted on 1 July when they visited a rebel camp to pray for an earlier group of hostages. Earlier Monday, troops recovered the evangelist who was able to escape. Fernando Solon, a Filipino, was the third hostage to escape from the Abu Sayyaf rebels since thousands of troops attacked the guerrillas on 16 September on southern Jolo island.

A senior army official said the group of evangelists was rescued at mid afternoon after a brief clash with the rebels. The military was able to pinpoint their location after the first evangelist escaped. Most of the hostages, including the evangelists and American Jeffrey Schilling were seized when they voluntarily visited the rebels' camps.

01 Oct 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Three Hostage-Takers Killed In Battle

As a three-week-old campaign to rescue 17 foreign and Filipino hostages, military planes and helicopter gunships pounded Muslim rebel hideouts on southern Jolo island with bombs and rockets on Sunday. The dawn aerial bombardment echoed through the town of Jolo, but its results were not immediately known. Military commanders said they were sure there were no hostages in the hills targeted by the attack.

On Saturday, government forces killed three members of the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group in fighting in the Patikul hills about four miles from downtown Jolo. One of the troops was injured. The fighting started when the guerrillas opened fire on a military convoy driving through a village supposedly cleared of rebel presence.

According to government sources, a total of 114 rebels and seven government soldiers have lost their lives in fighting in the hills since the military launched air and ground assaults on 16 September to try and rescue the hostages. Cracks surfaced for the first time among Manila officials on Saturday over how to end the hostage crisis, when national police chief General Panfilo Lacson said he had opposed the army's strategy of bombing rebel hideouts. He said he preferred a "stealthy commando attack" instead...

29 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Hostage Island Rescue Operation Reportedly Delayed

Senior officials conceded on Friday that a two-week long military rescue operation for 17 hostages in the southern Philippines has run into "difficulties." Tactical mistakes, a hostile civilian population and fleet-footed Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who are holding the hostages have conspired to frustrate the 4,000-strong security forces engaged in the assault on southern Jolo Island.

Ferry services resumed on Friday as the navy lifted its blockade of Jolo, but most communication facilities are still disabled to deny the rebels the means to coordinate their activities. 

Elite Marines, police Special Action Forces and Army Scout Rangers, trained in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, landed in Jolo on 16 September to "destroy" the 400-member Muslim extremist group and free 19 hostages who include three Malaysians, two Frenchmen and an American. Except for the two Frenchmen who managed to escape last week, the operation has not made much headway. Officials are unsure when the remaining 17 captives can be freed.

Major-General Narciso Abaya, the overall commander of the Jolo assault, said: "From the very start, we experienced difficulties. It was easy for them (Abu Sayyaf) to escape because our troops had to come from outside." He added that he "made the wrong assumption that the enemy would fight us back" but they ran instead.

Clark Staten, ERRI's senior counter-terrorism analyst, said of Gen. Abaya's observation, " If he was quoted correctly, I am semi-surprised by the general's statement...it could appear to demonstrate a lack of understanding of the adversary...as that is the very nature of 'guerilla warfare'...hit and run, hit and run."  "Even looking at the situation from afar, we would not have anticipated that Abu Sayyaf would engage in 'fixed piece' battles or extended firefights...that is just not the nature of irregular forces like these militants," Staten added. 

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado has described the rebels as "folk heroes, in a sense," because they shared with relatives and neighbors ransoms they raised from the 23 April abduction of a group of 21 western tourists and resort staff from a neighboring Malaysian resort. 

28 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Muslim Rebel Leaders Re-Affirm Jihad

As eight people lost their lives in fresh fighting, a spokesmand for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said on Thursday that leaders of the Philippines' main Muslim separatist group have affirmed a vow of "jihad" or holy war against the government. The spokesman said that leaders of the group, meeting in the remote jungle of the southern island of Mindanao, had backed MILF chairman Hashim Salamat's decision to call a jihad against the government.

The September 22-24 meeting, which included MILF leaders who had returned from abroad, also agreed to indefinitely to suspend peace negotiations with the government. The MILF had abandoned peace talks with Manila and declared a jihad against military and police forces after a military campaign to overrun the rebels left more than 1,000 people dead and resulted in the the capture of more than a dozen MILF bases.

In a separate development, two government militiamen and six MILF guerrillas were killed on Mindanao Island. Four other guerrillas, a soldier and a militiaman were killed on Wednesday after an army detachment repulsed a raid by about 100 MILF guerrillas. The soldiers and militiamen are guarding a government dam project that has been sabotaged several times by MILF attacks. 

Rebel Leader Reportedly Killed On Hostage Island

Officials said on Thursday that a top Abu Sayyaf leader was killed and two others wounded in the massive Philippine military operation to rescue 17 hostages being held by the Muslim extremist group. A military spokesman said that Radulan Sahiron died of wounds sustained during a clash with government forces in the Patikul area of the southern island of Jolo last week.

A police statement released in Manila also confirmed that the one-armed guerrilla leader had "died due to loss of blood from the wound on his leg during an encounter with government troops." A second senior Abu Sayyaf leader, Galib Andang alias "Commander Robot," has been wounded, but authorities would not give any further details.

Sulu provincial governor Abdusakur Tan said another rebel leader, Mujib Susukan, had been wounded in the arm and leg. Sahiron, Andang and Susukan are three of the five leaders of the Abu Sayyaf -- the Muslim extremist group which kidnapped 21 foreign tourists and Asian resort staff in the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in April.

While the military operation has little to show for it except for the escape of two French hostages from Andang's custody last week, Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said Thursday that "firefights are becoming more frequent, indicating that their (Abu Sayyaf's) room for maneuver is getting smaller." Government sources continue to strongly dispute reports that some of the guerillas and hostages have escaped from Jolo island, as rebels claim they have.

A military spokesman said 111 guerrillas have been killed and 49 others captured 13 days into the Jolo assault to rescue an American, three Malaysian and 13 Filipino hostages. Two soldiers and three civilian informers have also been killed and 11 soldiers, policemen and informers wounded. 

27 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Civilians Kill Three Rebels

Officials said that the mutilated bodies of three Muslim rebels -- including a prominent commander -- were dumped today at a police station on a southern Philippine island where thousands of troops are searching for 17 hostages. 

The three members of Abu Sayyaf were killed by villagers in Lapa, where a group of the guerrillas attempted to hide on Tuesday from pursuing troops. But the villagers resisted and there was a fight. The three rebels and another three villagers were killed and the rest of the guerrillas escaped.

Hundreds of Abu Sayyaf rebels have fled through the jungles of Jolo island with their hostages since 16 September. That's when the Philippine government launched an assault meant to free the captives: one American, three Malaysians and 13 Filipinos. More than 60,000 people on Jolo have fled their homes since the raid began, local officials said, because of aerial bombardments and fear of rebels.

The military insists only two civilians have been killed and four injured in the attack, but unconfirmed reports continue to mount of much higher casualties and extensive damage to villages. 

The three dead rebels  included Hibib Sabtal Arola, who participated in the kidnapping of 21 tourists and workers from a Malaysian diving resort on 23 April. Their bodies, apparently mutilated by the villagers, were dumped by soldiers outside the police station to be claimed by relatives.

26 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES

Kidnappers Reportedly Outrun Troops On Hostage Island

Officials were conceding on Monday that although they were outnumbered at least 10 to one, Abu Sayyaf gunmen are outrunning their Philippine military pursuers who are waging an uphill battle trying to rescue 17 hostages. More than 4,000 troops and police swarmed on the southern island of Jolo on 16 September expecting to "destroy" the Muslim extremists and rescue the hostages in a week.

Two French captives escaped last week, but the only other results of the military operation are the death of up to 105 guerrillas, a soldier and two civilians and the displacement of more than 36,000 people. Officials said that the Abu Sayyaf core group has remained intact. The campaign could last at least another week but the situation, according to military officials, changes from day to day. One observer estimate suggested that the current campaign may last as much as one month, if it is to hope to be effective.

Military chief of staff General Angelo Reyes admitted on Monday that the 400-member guerrilla force's hit and run tactics had thrown the timetable awry. The top brass remains convinced they would complete the job in a month, but field officers in charge of rooting out the guerrillas from the tropical rain-forest-clad island are less optimistic.

Military officials say they are chasing after at least three guerrilla units. One Abu Sayyaf faction holding U.S. hostage Jeffrey Schilling and one other Filipino hostage is playing a cat and mouse game with the army in the mountains of western Jolo. A third faction is believed to hold three Malaysians, though the military have not spotted it for two weeks. 

24 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Hostage Rescue May Not Be As Imminent As Planned...

MANILA (EmergencyNet News) -- A major military assault on Muslim kidnappers in the southern Philippines enters its second week today. So far, only two hostages have been rescued, and the recovery of 17 others doesn't appear any closer than when the operation began. Government estimates that the 16 Sep 2000 attack on the rebels, "would only take three days to a week," now appears to have been an overly optimistic estimate.

And, as if that weren't bad enough, unconfirmed reports have been received that at least some of the Abu Sayyaf guerillas may have been able to escape Jolo island by boat -- with some hostages in tow. Independent counter-terrorist analysts tell EmergencyNet News that the Philippine military operation may be "sending the right signal to the militants," but that the fight against the Muslim guerillas may be far from over.

22 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Hostage Drama Continues in Philippines; U.S. Hostage Used in Propaganda Broadcast

JOLO ISLAND -- On Thursday, a Philippino radio station broadcast the first interview with U.S. hostage Jeffrey Schilling since a rescue assault on Abu Sayyaf guerillas began last Saturday. In the interview, conducted by satellite telephone, he appealed to the Philippine government to halt the mission and resume negotiations. 

The interview, conducted by the Radio Mindanao Network, was the first confirmation that Schilling was still alive. "I am appealing to negotiators to talk to the U.S. government and have the operations immediately ceased, the negotiations continue,'' he said. Government officials said they believed Schilling was under duress and being controlled by terrorists. "I think Mr. Sabaya was telling him what to say and Mr. Sabaya was using him for his own propaganda efforts,'' said Ricardo Puno, a government spokesman. (Abu Sabaya is reportedly a rebel spokesman)

Puno told the Associated Press that military officials believe "there are hopeful and promising signs that they may be able to get something accomplished in the very, very near future." Meanwhile, the jungle assault on the separatist Abu Sayyaf rebels continues...

19 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Fight For Hostages Continues

Thousands of villagers have fled to the capital of Jolo Island as Philippine troops battled there for a third day on Monday to free 19 hostages, including six foreigners, held by Muslim rebels. Four people have so far been reported killed in the fighting. Local news sources reported that the fighting is still in progress and that none of the hostages have been recovered. 

All communication and transportation links have been frozen until the completion of the operation. Meanwhile, the government stated that it does not believe a report that the U.S. citizen who is being held hostage was killed during an escape attempt last week.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper has reported that several "caucasian soldiers," alleged to be U.S. Special Forces commandos, were spotted on Jolo on Sunday. Residents who fled the town of Maimbung because of the ongoing military assault against Abu Sayyaf gunmen also reported seeing "foreign" soldiers there.

The presence of the foreign soldiers in the war zone increased local speculation that U.S. troops were "advising" the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the assault against the Abu Sayyaf.  Reports from rebel sources, circulating in Zamboanga City, said U.S. soldiers have joined local forces in the operations. U.S. military sources in the United States told EmergencyNet News that they could not confirm or deny that U.S. personnel were participating in any operations to assist AFP troops on Jolo island.

The reports could not be independently confirmed as all roads leading to and from the areas of military operations are off limits to civilians, including social workers and health workers. A source at the Agence France-Presse headquarters in Quezon City reportedly confirmed that the U.S. military had provided vital intelligence information to the government in preparing for the assault against the terrorist group.

18 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Rebels Attacked, Assault Could Last a Week

Philippine President Joseph Estrada has said he's been told by the military that its assault on Muslim rebels on the island of Jolo could last up to a week. The Muslim rebels are holding 19 hostages including two French men and an American.

17 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Fighting Continues; Military Believes Hostages Are Safe

Fierce fighting was continuing on Jolo Island in the southern Philippines on Sunday. The military said that it believes that the 19 hostages, six of them foreigners, are still safe.

On Saturday, Philippine troops, bombers and helicopter gunships continued to launch an assault against the Abu Sayyaf rebels. Residents said that army and marine troops joined by the police Special Action Force commandos took part in the attack. The attack started just past midnight. There were unconfirmed reports of casualties in the attack. A news "black-out" has been implemented by the Philippine government, making confirmation of some information about the on-going assault difficult...

16 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

09:30CDT - 16 Sep 2000

Chinese Businessman Kidnapped Near Cotabato

Five unidentified individuals have reportedly kidnapped an ethnic Chinese businessman at his home near the southern city of Cotabato on Friday. The abductors transferred the businessman to a boat in the Moro Gulf. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

 00:30CDT - 16 Sep 2000

Philippine Military Launches Assault on Muslim Rebels

Jolo Island, Philippines (EmergencyNet News) -- According to the Reuters news service and military sources, Philippine special operations troops, bombers and helicopter gunships are all involved in a fierce assault on Muslim rebel bases on Saturday. 

Officials said that Marines, army troops, and police Special Action Force commandos are participating in the ground assault on Muslim extremist bases. Fighting is said to have been ongoing for more than 10 hours at the time of this report. 

The fate of more than 20 hostages, including several Europeans, an American, and several Asians is presently unknown. Few other official details are immediately available and the battle continues at this hour. Officially unconfirmed reports say that there have been fatalities in this clash, numbers unknown. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in the the S. Philippines and will provide additional updates as circumstances warrant.

15 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES

Two Bombs Explode In Pagadian

Two bombs exploded on Wednesday at a radio station and a store in Pagadian, located in the southern Philippines. There were no injuries. No one has claimed responsibility, but officials stated that the explosions resulted from mortar shells, which Islamic rebels have used in the past. Authorities have placed police and army troops in the area on alert.

Military Build-Up On Hostage Island

President Joseph Estrada on Friday boosted the military presence on the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo where Muslim extremists are holding 22 hostages, despite ruling out an immediate rescue bid. The military build up came as negotiators prepared for talks with the Abu Sayyaf gunmen to free two of the captives -- French journalists Jean-Jacques Le Garrec and Roland Madura. 

Provincial governor Abdusakur Tan said that the French nationals should walk free "perhaps in the next day or two." But there was no sign of the top negotiators on Jolo island Friday. Instead, a military plane and six helicopters dropped off at least five senior and mid-level officers, including Brigadier General Narciso Abaya, the commander of the army's First Infantry Division. Three marine battalions were also scheduled to fly into the island shortly.

Visiting U.S. Secretary of State William Cohen said on Friday: "the best course of action in dealing with a hostage situation is negotiation." Cohen, who is scheduled to call on President Estrada late Friday, said the US military is prepared to train crack Filipino counter-terrorism units in hostage rescues.

14 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES

Bombs Wound Five People

Police and radio reports said that at least five people were wounded by bombs that exploded at three gas stations in the southern Philippines on Thursday. Authorities said the bombings could be linked to discontent over rising oil prices. No group claimed responsibility for the blasts, which came on the eve of a planned protest over the cost of fuel.

Witnesses at all three attack sites described the same scene: Two men on a motorcycle stopped to fill up a plastic container with gasoline. They left money and said they would return. As the can was being filled up, it exploded, triggering a fire that burned the station to the ground. The attacks were at a Shell station in Pikit, a Petron station in Matalam and a Caltex station in Kabacan. They came minutes apart and left four station attendants and one customer injured. A fourth plastic container with an unexploded grenade inside was discovered at another gas station in Kabacan.

Authorities immediately deployed police to gas stations around North Cotabato province, where the attacks occurred. The province is about 570 miles southeast of Manila.

Rebels Threaten To Attack Cities

If the military attempts to rescue 19 hostages being held by Abu Sayyaf terrorists, the Muslim rebels say they will launch attacks on towns in the southern Philippines. A spokesman for Abu Sayyaf threatened in a radio broadcast that Muslims living in the main town on Jolo island and in the cities of Zamboanga, Davao and General Santos should evacuate because of the possible attack.

The spokesman said: "I'm asking our brother Muslims to go to safer ground because we will attack ... if the military conducts an operation. If we will wait for the military to exercise their option, maybe we will just suffer, so we may initiate the attack."

However, there were no immediate signs of increased security in the cities and local officials said the rebels have often made such threats before. The government's cabinet committee on national security recommended to President Joseph Estrada on Wednesday that negotiations continue for the release of the 19 hostages, who include six foreigners. Estrada has accepted the recommendation but officials stressed the option of using the military had not been closed.

12 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Manila Mulls Action As Jolo Rebels Take More Hostages; Negotiations With Terrorists Not the Answer?

Philippine officials, who were described as exasperated on Tuesday, signaled a possible assault on Muslim rebels after they seized three more hostages in Malaysia and threatened to behead an American captive. Almost taunting a government embarrassed by dozens of kidnappings this year, the Abu Sayyaf rebels brought the new captives to their lair on Jolo island using a speedboat that was purchased with ransom payouts for earlier hostages. 

The latest kidnapping was almost an exact replica of the 23 April abduction of 21 people, including ten foreign tourists, from the nearby Sipadan resort in Malaysia. Twenty of those victims have been freed, the last four on Saturday.

A Abu Sayyaf rebel faction holding an American hostage reiterated threats to behead him and set the government  a deadline of 16:00 hours (08:00 GMT) Tuesday to begin negotiations for his release.

The rash of kidnappings had Philippine officials speaking openly about a military assault, after months of counseling patience and allowing negotiations to take place. Officials say the rebels have been emboldened by the soft approach and the payment of millions of dollars in ransom.

Armed forces deputy chief General Jose Calimlim said the military was prepared for a rescue operation but would wait for orders from political leaders owing to risks to the hostages. Philippine officials have said they have not received any requests from Washington to avoid using force to free the American hostage, Jeffrey Schilling.

Jolo police chief Colonel Candido Casimiro said the three Malaysians abducted on Sunday from the Pandanan resort off Borneo were brought to Jolo on Monday. Pandanan is close to Sipadan Island resort, the scene of the first kidnap. Casimiro said some 200 armed rebels were waiting for the kidnappers when they landed on a deserted beach on Jolo, 600 miles south of Manila. The victims were quickly taken to the hideout of rebel chieftain Galib Andang.

Philippine navy patrols tried to block the rebels from landing on Jolo, but could not catch up with the powerful speedboat they were using. Casimiro said the 50-seater boat, with two outboard engines of 750 horsepower each, was much faster than the Philippines' navy patrol craft. The rebels bought the boat after they received ransom payments for the first of the Sipadan hostages they released. They have also reportedly bought an arsenal of automatic assault rifles and mortars, and have recruited several more men with the promise of "easy money." 

11 Sep 2000

MALAYSIA/PHILIPPINES:

10 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES: Military helicopters lifted four European hostages from a southern Philippine jungle on Saturday in a dramatic end to their 140 days of captivity at the hands of extremist Muslim rebels. Government negotiators called in the helicopters following a bloody ambush of two go-betweens en route to remote Jolo Island. The Abu Sayyaf rebells still have 16 other hostages, including two French journalists, 13 Filipinos and an American, who was being held by a separate faction of the same rebel group.

09 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Free Four European Hostages After Shootout

Officials said that Abu Sayyaf Muslim gunmen in the southern Philippines freed four Europeans among their 23 hostages after a bloody shootout over a cash ransom dispute. The rebels turned over the four European hostages to top government negotiator Roberto Aventajado's emissaries who were earlier ambushed by a faction of the Abu Sayyaf unhappy over the distribution of millions of dollars in ransom payments.

Military helicopters later plucked Frenchman Stephane Loisy, Finns Seppo Fraenti and Risto Vahanen and Marc Wallert of Germany, as well as the emissaries from the Abu Sayyaf, and took them to nearby Zamboanga city. Sources said that according to an agreement struck with the Abu Sayyaf, two French journalists among the remaining hostages would be released in about two days but Libyan negotiator Rajab Azzarouq said they might encounter "problems" because of infighting among the gunmen.

Aside from the journalists, the Abu Sayyaf are holding one American and 16 Filipino hostages. The fighting on Jolo Island threatened to scuttle a painstakingly arranged deal brokered by Libya under which the Abu Sayyaf was supposed to hand over the European captives in exchange for pledges of up to US$10 million in "development aid" from Tripoli. Sources close to the negotiations say millions of dollars in ransom have been paid to the Muslim extremists to secure the hostages so far...

08 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES: Negotiators said it appeared unlikely on Friday that Muslim rebels would release of a group of European tourists held hostage since April. The government's chief negotiator, Robert Aventajado, was in Manila on Friday afternoon, awaiting a call from an Abu Sayyaf rebel leader. The expected release was delayed by the funeral for the brother of rebel leader Mujib Susukan killed on Wednesday in a motorcycle accident, and by a disturbance in a local village caused by rebels rampaging on motorcycles. The motorcycles, of course, were bought with ransom money.

07 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES

Hostage Releases Said Delayed By Kidnappers Feud

Sources said on Thursday that a feud among Muslim extremist kidnappers was responsible for six European hostages remaining in captivity for another day in the Philippine jungle. The three Frenchmen, two Finns and a German, who had been due to be freed from their four-month ordeal on Thursday, will have to wait until Friday because of a reported internal rift among the Abu Sayyaf rebels.

A source close to the negotiators would not reveal details of the argument, saying it was a "sensitive matter" which if made public, could derail Friday's planned releases. It was also unsure whether all six would be freed at one time on Friday, or whether the releases would be staggered... 

05 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Officials Say Jolo Raid Won't Affect Western Hostages

Police rescued three local residents who were abducted by gunmen on Jolo island, but the Philippine's chief negotiator said on Monday that the operation would not affect the expected release this week of the remaining Western hostages. The armed gang holding the three workers fled when a police commando unit approached their hideout in hills of the island on Sunday. There was no exchange of gunfire.

The gang had abducted the workers from a construction site in Jolo last month and demanded about US$22,000 each for their release. The police moved in on Sunday because the kidnappers had threatened to start beheading the victims.

The Abu Sayyaf faction holding American Jeffrey Schilling on Monday rejected Manila's decision to appoint Sulu provincial vice governor Munib Estino as the government negotiator in talks for the man's release. It demanded that Manila appoint a negotiator of national stature.

It also insisted that representatives from China, North Korea, Libya, Iraq and Saudi Arabia take part in the negotiations for Schilling's freedom along with negotiators from the Philippines and the U.S. Manila has already rejected the demand.

The faction's spokesman, Abu Sabaya, speaking on local radio, said the United States had the choice of negotiation or a rescue operation. He said: "It's up to them if they want to send soldiers here and attack us. If they want to fight, we will fight them, regardless of how small we are." 

Sabaya repeated his group's threat to behead Schilling if the United States did not accept the group's demands, which include the release of three Islamic militants held in U.S. jails.

02 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Violent Incidents Reported In North Catabato

One person was seriously wounded when a bomb exploded in the central square of Kidapawan on Thursday. Authorities suspect that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) planted the device. In a separate incident, MILF rebels raided the town of Kabacan, killing a 65-year-old woman and wounding six others. Both attacks occurred in the southern province of North Cotabato.

American Hostage Said To Go On Hunger Strike

Muslim extremists said on Saturday an American hostage had gone on hunger strike and reiterated a threat to kill him, warning the Philippine government to open negotiations soon. The rebels did not elaborate on why the American was on a hunger strike or on the American's condition.

01 Sep 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Want US$10 Million For American Hostage

Negotiators said on Friday that Muslim rebels have demanded US$10 million for the release of an American kidnapped this week in the southern Philippines, despite a U.S. refusal to pay any ransom. The Abu Sayyaf rebels, who earlier threatened to behead Jeffrey Schilling, pledged not to harm him while negotiations continue. They asked that food and medicine be sent for the 24- year-old man who U.S. officials say has serious health problems.

North Cotabato: At least 13 people were reported wounded when a bomb, consisting of five mortar shells and a timer, exploded on Thursday near a public market and mini-bus terminal in North Cotabato province in the southern Philippines. The attack occurred during rush hour. Police suspect Islamic rebels for the attack.

31 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Kidnapped American Said To Be Ill

U.S. officials appealed to Muslim rebels on Thursday to release an American they are holding in a southern Philippine jungle, saying he is seriously ill and should be freed immediately on humanitarian grounds. U.S. officials have talked with Jeffrey Schilling's family and learned the American kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas has serious medical problems and needs regular prescription medicine. Abu Sayyaf rebels announced on Tuesday that they had abducted Schilling and threatened to behead him if the United States rejects their demands.

Philippine authorities vowed to be more resolute in dealing with Muslim extremists who threaten a "never-ending" hostage crisis, with Manila saying it would treat the Abu Sayyaf's abduction of Schilling as an "ordinary police matter." The Philippines' chief hostage negotiator, however, refused to work for the release of the kidnapped American, saying he wanted to concentrate on winning the freedom of six Europeans also held by the Muslim rebels.

30 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Government Plans To Get Tough On Rebels

An official said on Wednesday that the Philippine government is considering a tougher approach toward Muslim rebels after they kidnapped an American man and threatened to kill him. Abu Sayyaf rebels said on Tuesday they had abducted Jeffrey Schilling. The group is still holding 18 other hostages on Jolo Island after releasing six captives earlier this week for a reported US$6 million paid by Libya.

Critics have warned that the ransom payment will encourage more kidnappings in the southern Philippines. Presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said: "We cannot go on like this. Otherwise we will be doing exactly what those against ransom have been saying right from the beginning. We are just setting ourselves up for more problems in the future."

In a radio interview, rebel spokesman Abu Sabaya said the guerrillas are willing to begin negotiations with U.S. Embassy officials on Thursday for Schilling's release. But he also demanded that representatives of North Korea, China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya take part in the talks. Sabaya said Tuesday that the rebels would announce their demands in three days and would kill Schilling if the United States did not accept them.

Schilling is reportedly being held by the same faction that kidnapped about 50 schoolchildren and teachers in March on neighboring Basilan Island. The group beheaded two teachers after the United States ignored their demand for the release of several Arab terrorists held in U.S. jails.

The U.S. Embassy said the American government would make no deal with the rebels. In a statement, the Embassy said: "We will not pay ransom, change policies, release prisoners, or make any concessions that reward hostage-taking..."

29 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Lead Focus

Muslim Extremists Kidnap An American

Muslim extremist gunmen have claimed, and the Philippine government has confirmed, that rebels have kidnapped an American man and threatened to kill him unless Washington frees World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Youssef and two other terror convicts. An Abu Sayyaf spokesman said that they abducted Jeffrey Craig Schilling, who the spokesman claimed was a spy for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), in southern Zamboanga city on Monday.

Philippine immigration authorities said a 24-year-old American who entered the Philippines in March matched the name and passport number of the man identified by the Abu Sayyaf. The American had been taken by speedboat to nearby Jolo island, joining six European and 17 Filipino hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf for up to four months.

The terror spokesman told Philippine reporters that aside from World Trade Center bomber Youssef, the Abu Sayyaf were also demanding the release of Abdurahman Omar and Abu Haider, also being held in U.S. prisons. It was unclear if Abdurahman Omar is Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, a Muslim cleric jailed for plotting to bomb several New York City locations. Haidar is reported to be one of the teachers of an Abu Sayyaf leader, although it is unclear why he is in jail.

The Abu Sayyaf spokesman warned: "We will not hesitate to execute this American guy if the Philippine and US governments don't listen to our demands. If President Estrada and President Bill Clinton do not listen to our demands, we will shame the governments." He added that ransom was not the "main reason" for the American's kidnapping, saying: "one American was equivalent to ten Europeans" and "so we want to try the superpower."

President Joseph Estrada's spokesman said the Abu Sayyaf would only get into more trouble if the kidnapping of the American was verified. He said: "If it is true that there is really an American captured and he is really CIA, they should not gloat. They're going to galvanize international action against them. The world will unite in the realization of what a big problem the Abu Sayyaf poses."  

25 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES

Rebels Kill Five Men

A military official said on Thursday that Muslim rebels killed five truck drivers they abducted this week in the southern Philippines, and a sixth hostage remains missing. Police found the bodies on Thursday in a coconut grove in Buluan in Maguindanao province,  about 565 miles south of Manila, near where they were abducted by separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels two days earlier. The victims had been shot and hacked.

The rebels blocked the two trucks of the six men, apparently thinking they were transporting rice. The cargo turned out to be animal feed and the guerrillas instead abducted the six men.

Authorities In A Bind After Kidnappers' Bagmen Caught Red-Handed

Authorities appeared to be in an embarrassing bind on Friday after police arrested two not-too-bright Abu Sayyaf hostage takers with a pile of cash believed to be ransom money. The two suspects were jailed on Thursday after being caught red-handed trying to exchange US$240,000 in notes into the local currency at a bank. An Abu Sayyaf guerrilla was also arrested in nearby Basilan Island on Thursday when he was wounded in a clash with government forces.

A government negotiator warned on Friday that the police action could hinder efforts to win the release of the hostages, many of them now into their fifth month of captivity in the southern island of Jolo. Press reports said Zamboanga police were under pressure to release the suspects and return the money to the Abu Sayyaf, now holding 12 Western and 17 local hostages.

Referring to the arrests, negotiator Farouk Hussein said: "You can't blame the government for taking the action." But if the money is the Abu Sayyaf's, "this will complicate matters and would probably affect the negotiations..."

24 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Release Of Hostages Put Off Until Next Week

Sources close to the negotiations said on Thursday that Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines are unlikely to free any of their 12 Western hostages before next week. The sources said chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado had been working out the final details of a Libyan-backed plan in Manila, which would likely be conveyed to the Abu Sayyaf group on the southern island of Jolo on Saturday at the earliest.

Philippine President Joseph Estrada's spokesman Ricardo Puno said on Thursday that the government had no time frame for the settlement of the four-month long hostage crisis. Government emissaries continued to visit the kidnappers' jungle hideout this week while Abu Sayyaf leader Galib Andang, also known as "Commander Robot," is in daily satellite phone contact with Aventajado...

23 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Kidnappers Refuse Wholesale Releases Despite Improved Deal

Muslim extremists are refusing to free 12 Western hostages in one batch despite an improved Libyan-backed deal. Also on Wednesday, the kidnappers released a Filipino captive and grabbed two local women. Negotiator Farouk Hussein said after an overnight visit to the gunmen's southern Philippines hideout on Jolo island that the Abu Sayyaf prefers to first free the four women in the Western group -- Sonia Wendling and Maryse Burgot of France, Franco-Lebanese Marie Moarbes, and South African Monique Strydom.

Hussein said: "They cannot release hostages simultaneously for fear of military operations" against them, and would only free them "on a staggered basis." Philippine officials acknowledge they may have to issue some form of guarantee for the personal security of the Abu Sayyaf leaders to end the crisis. Some officials have even openly raised the idea of foreign asylum for the kidnap leaders.

U.S. Ready To Assist In Combating Extremist Groups

A U.S. Embassy spokesman said on Tuesday that the United States is ready to assist the Philippines meet the security problems posed by a Muslim extremist group holding a dozen Western hostages in the southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf is included in a watch list drawn up by the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. government is committed "to helping any way it can to combat these groups," as well as to "help other governments combat these groups."

The spokesman declined to discuss what sort of offer would be made, saying only that the assistance "would depend on what sort of help is requested" by Manila. The United States has not been heavily involved in providing military or counter-terrorism assistance to the Philippines since it was forced to abandon its bases there. 

22 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Army Convoy Ambushed

Army officials said on Monday that at least 17 soldiers in a military convoy were killed in an ambush by Communist guerrillas on the central Philippine island of Negros. Five other soldiers were reported to have been wounded in Monday's attack.

According to reports, the patrolling infantry unit was attacked by New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in the early afternoon in a mountainous region near the town of Himamaylan. Around 30 NPA rebels were said to be involved in the attack. The troops are thought to have been reinforcements headed to the nearby town of Tayasan, where one soldier was wounded in a guerrilla attack on Sunday. Some of the soldiers traveling with the convoy managed to return fire, but it is not clear whether the rebels suffered any casualties.

The rebels represent the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has waged a Maoist rebellion against the government for more than 30 years...

Government Warns French Journalists' Lives At Risk If Left Behind In Deal

The Philippine government said on Tuesday that the lives of three French journalists among the hostages held by Muslim extremists in the southern Philippines would be in grave danger if they were not freed with the others. Government sources said that a deal to win the release of 12 Westerners, including the France-2 television trio, and 16 Filipinos collapsed at the 11th hour on Saturday when the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas demanded US$14 million more in ransom.

The Philippine government wants all the hostages the rebels are holding on the southern island of Jolo released under a deal worked out by mediator Libya. But the Abu Sayyaf is insisting on staggered releases to stave off any military action against them.

Sources close to the negotiations said on Tuesday the Libyans had signaled they would accept the new demand of the rebels, but neither side would say anything officially. The Philippine Inquirer newspaper, citing a high-level source from the Philippine presidential palace, reported Tuesday that the Kadhafi Charity Organization had agreed to offer an extra US$12 million in ransom and asked for three days to raise the cash. The report could not be independently confirmed...

20 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Lead Focus

Kidnappers Search For Ways To Grab The Money And Run...

What is really holding up the release of 28 hostages in the southern Philippines? Negotiators are holding out a tempting US$25 million carrot in return for the hostages. But the Abu Sayyaf leaders also know that as soon as the hostages are released, the Philippine military is going to come down on them hard.

On Saturday, Abu Sayyaf leaders admitted in a letter to negotiators that they backed away from a deal and "further negotiations would not take place until we are assured the Philippine government will stop any military attacks." One thing that is now noticeable in regards to the terrorists, there is no longer mention of an oppressed religious minority fighting for its rights. As was previously postulated by EmergencyNet News, it's all come down to the money now (see below).

Abu Sayyaf leaders have been demanding asylum in Libya to enjoy their new found wealth. But while the guerrilla leaders may have trained in Libya, Tripoli has said they are not welcome to live there. Which is smart of the Libyans who are trying to bolster their image of not being a rogue state in the eyes of the world. Hostage negotiator Farouk Hussein explained: "No country would want to take them. The Abu Sayyaf has been labeled as terrorists and who would like to be labeled as harboring a terrorist group?"

The Abu Sayyaf's desperate search now for money and safety is a far cry from the political aura they initially enjoyed after the 23 April abduction of ten tourists and 11 resort workers from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan. 

Then, the kidnappings were tied to a protracted struggle by a religious minority to claim what they said was a right to their own homeland. They offered to swap the French, Franco-Lebanese, German, Finnish, South African, Malaysian and Filipino hostages for a separate state. They also sought exclusive rights for the Muslim minority to fish the southern Philippines waters, and demanded an inquiry into alleged human rights abuses on the 500,000 Filipinos in Malaysia.

But while the Abu Sayyaf leaders spouted political rhetoric, their minions conducted a parallel human auction, holding negotiations on the sly with freelance mediators who redeemed six Malaysians and a German woman reportedly for US$5.5 million. 

How and when will it all end? No one knows. But, one thing is certain...the funding to continue to carry out their terrorist campaign is utmost in the minds of Abu Sayyaf leaders, and their escape with the ransom money is apparently more important to them than any religious or geo-political goal...

18 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Rebels Reportedly Free Malaysians

Government negotiators said on Friday that Muslim rebels holding 28 hostages in a Philippine jungle have freed three Malaysians who were kidnapped nearly four months ago. Negotiators working to free the three Malaysians said an agreement had been reached on the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas' demand for an additional US$1 million ransom, but did not specify the terms.

The Abu Sayyaf rebels were expected to release the rest of their hostages on Saturday. An estimated US$5.5 million was paid to the Abu Sayyaf last month for the release of six other Malaysians and a German woman. That payment was supposed to cover the three remaining Malaysians as well, but the guerrillas reportedly reneged at the last moment and demanded more money.

Many of the hostages had been expected to be freed on Thursday. But bad weather and an order by President Joseph Estrada that all the captives be freed at one time delayed the release. Estrada's instruction raised speculation he might order a military attack on the rebels soon after the hostages are freed. About 500 villagers from Bandang near the Abu Sayyaf's camp on Jolo have fled their homes, fearing military action.

12 Aug 2000

PHILIPPINES:

Philippine Troops Clash with Cultists, 20 Reported Killed

An army spokesman said on Saturday that 20 people were killed in an exchange of gunfire between members of a Christian religious group and army troops in Bukidnon province. The encounter happened at around 1545 hours local time Friday in the town of Pangantocan on Mindanao Island, 870 miles from the capital of Manila.

The troops were accompanying local officials to serve an arrest warrant on Alfredo Opciona, the leader of the Tadtad religious sect. Authorities said there were several cases pending against Opciona, but gave no specific details. The encounter ensued as the troops attempted to serve the warrant. Sixteen Tadtad members were killed in the incident, besides three members of the army auxiliary group and one civilian volunteer...

Philippine Hostage Takers Said To Await Huge Ransom

Sources close to the kidnappers said on Saturday that Muslim extremists holding 20 hostages in the southern island of Jolo are awaiting a huge ransom payment 
(reportedly as much as $U.S. 25 million) prior to freeing many of their foreign captives. The ransom will likely be delivered by a special emissary who has dealt with the Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf group several times before. The money may arrive this weekend. The amount or the source of the funds were not disclosed.

It was not immediately clear how many of the foreign captives would be freed but other sources close to the negotiators said two Germans, two French, two Finns, two South Africans and a Franco-Lebanese woman, all seized from a Malaysian resort on 23 April, would soon be released. The sources did not mention the three Malaysians and two Filipinos who were also seized by the Abu Sayyaf from the Malaysian resort. The source also did not say if three French television journalists, abducted while seeking interviews with the hostages, would be covered by the ransom...

09 Aug 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Lead Focus

Ransom Being Paid For Hostages

For the first time, a senior Philippine official has admitted that foreign agencies and governments were paying ransom to secure the release of their nationals held hostage by Moslem rebels. Presidential Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said on Tuesday that the payments were being made "definitely without the consent" of Manila.

A Philippine military report said the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf rebels had collected US$5.5 million in ransom payments for the release of some of their dozens of captives. Zamora said: "The problem here is the government of the Philippines cannot stop all of that because these are foreign individuals, foreign agencies, foreign governments that are paying. Even if we say don't do it, that the government's policy is no ransom, when the time comes they find a way to pay."

Zamora did not identify the governments, agencies or individuals allegedly making the payments. Governments whose nationals are among those held hostage have publicly said they oppose paying ransom, even though they may have then "privately negotiated" with the terrorists.

Armed forces chief General Angelo Reyes said the Abu Sayyaf had been using a big portion of the money to buy weapons. Police sources say negotiations now going on are in the range of about US$1 million for each of the Caucasian hostages and about US$350,000 for each of the others.

ERRI's Clark Staten this morning said of the report, "$5.5 million will pay a large number of guerilla fighters and buy an awful lot of explosives, AK-47's and RPG's...let's hope and pray that these ransom payments don't directly contribute to a further escalation of the conflict in the Philippines and the taking of even more hostages." 

Government Braces For Terrorist Attacks

The Philippines armed forces chief said on Monday that the nation's security forces are bracing for "high impact" terrorist attacks by Muslim separatist guerrillas. General Angelo Reyes said he told President Joseph Estrada's cabinet that the country should brace for more bombings and massacres by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Last month, the MILF's leader Hashim Salamat called on Filipino Muslims to launch a "jihad" or holy war against the government after the military seized Camp Abubakar, the group's headquarters on the southern island of Mindanao. Since the call to war, Muslim rebels thought to be from the MILF have killed 55 people in four massacres and one bombing.

05 Aug 2000  - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Sixteen Killed In Ambush

Officials said on Saturday that 16 people were killed by heavily armed men who stopped three vehicles on a remote road in the southern Philippines. The victims were murdered after being robbed. Ten other people were seriously wounded in the attack on Friday night in North Cotabato province. The fatalities included a 2-year-old boy.

Survivors said the attackers wore military-style uniforms and were armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. One survivor said the victims were ordered out of their vehicles and robbed. The attackers then ordered everyone back inside and opened fire on the group. Police and military suspect the attackers were Muslim rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

01 Aug 2000  - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Two Killed, Dozens Wounded in Bomb Blasts

Police said on Tuesday that at least two people were killed and dozens were wounded when unidentified attackers bombed a town fiesta and a commercial center in the southern Philippines. Authorities said they had not established the motives behind the Monday night attacks but said there were no signs that Muslim rebels fighting for an Islamic state in the south of the mainly Catholic country were involved.

One explosion ripped through a town festival in Monkayo, 600 miles southeast of Manila on Mindanao Island, killing two people and wounding 37 others late Monday. The attacker rolled a grenade wrapped in a piece of cloth under a crowd. The suspect and his business rival were said to be fighting over a site for a stall catering to festival-goers.

Also late Monday, another grenade exploded near the cathedral in the Muslim-dominated town of Jolo, 250 miles southwest of Monkayo, injuring one man. It was the third grenade blast in less than two weeks in the town on Jolo island, where Muslim extremists are holding 29 hostages, including 15 foreigners.

INDONESIA:

Bomb Kills Two, Injures Philippine Ambassador

Police said two people were killed and at least 21 others, including the Philippine ambassador to Indonesia, were wounded when a powerful car bomb ripped apart the ambassador's car as it entered his residence on Tuesday. Ambassador Leonides Caday and his driver survived, but were hospitalized. The blast shook Jakarta's downtown at about 12:25 local time (05:25 GMT). Four people, including the driver for the ambassador, were in critical condition. The bodies of the dead were said to be badly mutilated and torn apart.

Indonesian authorities linked the attack to an ongoing Muslim rebel insurgency in the southern Philippines and not to ethnic and separatist violence or political turmoil in Indonesia. A Philippine embassy statement said no motive had been established. Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid is quoted by the BBC as saying, "This, I think, is related to the problems in south Philippines, maybe related to the kidnapping in Jolo or the problem of the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front)." The Philippines' largest Islamic secessionist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), quickly denied responsibility. 

Witnesses said Tuesday's blast came from the envoy's Mercedes auto and blew it apart as it turned into the entrance of his home in Mentang district. The U.S. ambassador and Indonesia's vice president live nearby. Caday was conscious but badly bleeding as passers-by pulled him and his driver from the wrecked car.

One corner of the ambassador's residence was severely damaged. An adjacent home occupied by Bulgaria's ambassador was also damaged along with the office of Indonesia's national electoral commission directly across the street. Dozens of cars were damaged. Debris and shrapnel were scattered hundreds of yards away.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) instructed Philippine diplomatic missions abroad on Tuesday to tighten security for its personnel and buildings. Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Franklin Ebdalin has instructed all foreign service facilities to be on a high state of alert for similar incidents such as Tuesday's bombing in Jakarta. Philippine authorities said there were no known enemies and there was no known high level of risk at the embassy in Jakarta.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front denied any involvement in the blast. An MILF spokesman said: "The truth is we have nothing to do with that. MILF activities are only in Mindanao and our targets are military. There is no plan at all, no decision at all, to engage in such activity (as the bombing in Jakarta)."

Philippine national security adviser, Alexander Aguirre said the Philippines had "no prior information" of any threat to the Philippine mission in Indonesia. 

Reference: http://www.emergency.com/indowarn.htm

30 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Rebel Groups Again Call For "Jihad" in Philippines 

The Abu Sayyaf rebel group stated on Friday that it supports the call by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for a jihad (holy war) against the government. In other news regarding the Abu Sayyaf, a Filipino couple kidnapped five days ago while reporting on a hostage saga in the southern Philippines for the country's top television channel was freed by the rebel group.

28 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Military Report Says Muslim Rebels Strength Not Down

A confidential military report obtained Friday by Japan's Kyodo news agency shows that secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas have not been reduced by 70 percent despite recent government offensives and the capture of 46 rebel bases as claimed earlier by the Philippine military. The confidential report said: "The MILF is still not a spent force."

The report, from the military's intelligence community, said that as of 30 June, the MILF still had 15,233 fighters with 11,042 assorted firearms. The report, however, excluded possible numerical changes following the 9 July capture of Camp Abubakar, the MILF's main camp in Maguindanao Province.

According to the report, the figures on rebel strength represented a 3 percent, or 460 fighter, decrease from the 15,693 in December 1999 while the number of firearms shows a 2 percent decrease, or 237 firearms, from 11,279 firearms as of end-1999.

The report was in contrast to the Monday statement by the chief of the military's civil relations service, that the present MILF strength is estimated at 5,000 fighters, more than two-thirds less than its estimated strength of 15,600 members in December 1999.

In related news, Philippine President Joseph Estrada, who is meeting with U.S. officials in Washington, is quoted as saying, "Muslim insurgents in the southern Philippines pose no military threat to his country." According to the Associated Press, Estrada met with President Clinton on Thursday to discuss regional security, counter-terrorism strategies, the slowly healing Asian economy and other issues.

27 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Kidnapped German Reporter Released

Muslim rebels released a German reporter on Thursday, 25 days after he was kidnapped while covering the group of 21 mostly foreign hostages being held in the southern Philippines. Andreas Lorenz was among six journalists being held by the Abu Sayyaf rebel group. All were seized on Jolo island while reporting on the hostages abducted in April from a Malaysian diving resort.

Lorenz said after his release: "It's the worst ordeal in my life. I will never come back to Jolo." Lorenz was taken hostage on 2 July by four armed men who agreed to guide him to an Abu Sayyaf hide-out where he hoped to interview three German captives. Instead, the men forced him into the jungle. The reporter was held at a separate location from the other hostages, apparently by an Abu Sayyaf faction that felt it was not receiving a fair share of the ransom paid for other hostages. It was not immediately clear whether any ransom was paid for Lorenz's release...

26 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Grenade Attack Wounds 18 In Jolo

At least 18 people were wounded, one critically, when a hand grenade exploded outside a busy coffee shop in Jolo in the southern Philippines early Tuesday. It was the second grenade attack in two days in Jolo, the capital of an island where the extremist Muslim Abu Sayyaf group is holding about 30 hostages, about half of them foreigners, in jungle hide-outs. Witnesses said an unidentified man threw the grenade at the coffee shop, which is near a crowded market. No suspects were immediately identified by police. Jolo, capital of Sulu province, is about 590 miles south of Manila.

Bomb Threats Made Against Aircraft

Unidentified individuals made four bomb threats against aircraft departing from Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport early Monday. The callers warned that they would blow up a Boeing 747 in mid-air. Following the calls, airport officials increased security at terminals I and II. A Northwest Boeing 747 about to leave for the United States had its cargo unloaded and re-inspected and Japan Airlines conducted more rigorous checks of its cargo and its passengers' luggage. Nothing suspicious was found during the searches.

Government Says Finalizing Deal On Hostages

The Philippines' chief hostage negotiator said on Wednesday he was working out a final agreement with Muslim rebels for the release of Westerners still held on Jolo island, with the women captives being freed first. Presidential adviser Roberto Aventajado, chief of Manila's negotiating panel, also said he was hopeful of winning the release of the last three Malaysians held in the rebels' jungle hideout 600 miles south of Manila.

25 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Abu Sayyaf Reportedly Abducts Two More Reporters

A group of Abu Sayyaf rebels abducted two reporters of ABS-CBN, the country's largest radio-TV network, in Sulu province in the southern Philippines on Monday. The official Philippine News Agency said the ABS-CBN reporters went to the town of Patikul on Monday morning for talks with the Abu Sayyaf leader holding a German journalist as hostage. The pair were already on their way back to Jolo, capital of the province, early Monday afternoon when four armed men, suspected to be Abu Sayyaf members, stopped their vehicle in the village of Barangay.

21 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES: Two bombs exploded Thursday night in separate incidents on the island of Mindanao. At least five people sustained injuries when a bomb exploded outside a bar in the town of Tukuran. A second bomb exploded in Kabacan, wounding one person. Authorities detonated a third bomb in Kabacan in a controlled explosion.

17 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

Bomb Kills Two In Southern Philippines

  Military officials said that two people were killed and 33 others were wounded when a powerful bomb exploded in a crowded market in the southern Philippines on Sunday. The blast ripped through the public market on the main shopping day of the week in the town of Kabacan in North Cotabato province.

The bomb, improvised from a 81mm mortar shell, was apparently planted by Muslim rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Most of the 33 wounded victims were said to be in serious condition and were being treated in various hospitals. A military spokesman said the attack appeared to be in response to a call by MILF chief Salamat Hashim for a jihad, or holy war, against the government. The bomb explosion was the fourth in North Cotabato since April.

Gunmen Kill 21 in Philippine Mosque

The army said on Monday that gunmen suspected to be Muslim rebels seized 22 civilians in a southern Philippine village and shot all but one of them to death inside a mosque. A local councilor, who was among those abducted by the armed group on Sunday in a village in Lanao del Sur province on Mindanao island, was wounded but escaped. Motive for the attack was unknown. About 100 suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were involved in the attack.

Rebels Release Ailing German Woman

Muslim rebels on Monday freed an ailing German woman who had been held in a Philippine jungle since she and 20 other mostly foreign hostages were abducted from a Malaysian diving resort 85 days ago. Renate Wallert, 57, is the first European hostage to be freed by the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who earlier released two Malaysians. It was not immediately clear whether any ransom was paid for her release. Wallert has suffered from high blood pressure and chronic anxiety during her long jungle captivity.

13 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Lead Focus

MILF Leader Calls For New Jihad!

A rebel spokesman responding to recent battle setbacks said on Wednesday that the leader of the Philippines' largest Muslim rebel separatist group has declared a holy war against the government. The spokesman quoted Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Salamat Hashim as saying: "I'm enjoining all able-bodied Muslims to join the jihad and to fight against the aggressors. All of Mindanao has now been converted into a battleground."

Salamat made the declaration in a recorded message broadcast over a local radio station in southern Maguindanao province. Salamat is said to be in a foreign country. It is unknown what country he is in. The MILF spokesman said that the declaration of a holy war, or jihad, was a policy pronouncement and the MILF's central committee will meet soon to draft guidelines on how it should be carried out. Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said the government is not taking the threat lightly but believes most Muslims will ignore the call and support the government. Nevertheless, police and military troops were placed on alert in metropolitan Manila and key cities in Mindanao.

Salamat's call for a jihad followed weeks of rebel battle losses that culminated in the fall Sunday of the MILF's sprawling headquarters, Camp Abubakar, about 545 miles south of Manila. Since the seizure of Abubakar, many top MILF leaders, including Salamat, have either remained overseas or kept out of public view. Rebel attacks have waned. 

On Thursday, the Philippine government warned that a call for the jihad could drag foreign extremists into the separatist conflict. Defense Secretary Mercado said: "The call for a jihad ... is a desperate attempt to convert a failed secessionist struggle into a religious war. Worse, Salamat is now foisting upon the Filipino people, Moslems and non-Moslems alike, the specter of foreign extremist Islamic groups involving themselves in the violence inherent in his call for a jihad."

ERRI analysts said today that it is likely that at least some foreign extremists from other countries are already operating in the S. Philippines, but that the newly declared jihad may initiate an additional influx of militants from the Mid-East and other areas.... 

11 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Positive Developments In Hostage Crisis??

 The Philippine government's chief negotiator said on Tuesday that a Muslim rebel leader holding 20 mostly foreign hostages told the government he is ready to resolve the nearly three-month-long hostage crisis. Presidential adviser Roberto Aventajado, head of Manila's negotiating team, said rebel commander Galib Andang called him using the satellite phone of a three-member French television crew whom the guerrillas were also holding hostage.

Aventajado said Andang, known as "Commander Robot," told him he had designated a relative to act as a go-between with the government panel.  Asked if he saw a breakthrough in the long-running situation, Aventajado said: "I guess this direct conversation that I had with Commander Robot could be a very important development. He was the one who sought me out and he came up with this suggestion ... so that what they really want can be conveyed to me using a very clean channel."

The Abu Sayyaf has issued several political demands, including the establishment of an Islamic state in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. Manila has rejected them but offered the guerrillas limited autonomy. Officials said the Abu Sayyaf had also demanded US$1 million per hostage. Although Manila says it is opposed to paying ransom, some officials have said the issue will boil down to a question of money... 

PHILIPPINES: A mountain of garbage loosened by rain collapsed and burst into flames on Monday at Manila's biggest dump, flattening squatters' shanties and killing at least 78 people. Some 31 people were injured, while estimates of those missing ranged from 72 by the Red Cross to 300 by a community leader. The victims were poor people who earn a living by scavenging garbage in the Payatas dump. More bodies were recovered overnight as hopes of finding survivors dimmed on Tuesday.  

10 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Abu Sayyaf Guerillas Reportedly Grab Three More Journalists as Hostages

  Police said on Monday that three French journalists, who were covering the hostage crisis on the Philippine island of Jolo, were kidnapped by Muslim extremists. Abu Sayyaf gunmen abducted 36-year-old Maryse Burgot; Jean-Jacques le Garec, age 46; and 49-year-old Roger Madula when the France-2 television crew visited the hostage-takers' camp to interview 37 hostages, who include two other French citizens.

Official sources said the kidnappers are demanding an unspecified amount in ransom. The Frenchmen were the third group of journalists abducted while covering the nearly 3-month-old kidnapping of ten Western tourists and 11 Asian resort workers from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan. Ten Western journalists were forced to pay US$25,000 ransom last month when the Abu Sayyaf kidnapped them.

09 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment Services-Thursday, July 6, 2000-Vol. 6, No. 188

PHILIPPINES

Communist Rebels Ambush Police Convoy

Officials said on Wednesday that 13 people were killed when communist guerrillas opened fire on a Philippine police convoy on central Mindoro Island. It was the second major rebel attack on government forces in eight days. A police statement said that eight policemen and two civilians were killed in Tuesday's ambush in mountainous Victoria municipality. Three guerrillas were killed when the police fired back.

The police were on their way to investigate the killing of a village headman when dozens of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas attacked. Military officials said the leftist rebels appeared to have stepped up their offensive in recent weeks to take advantage of government concentration of its forces in the war with Islamic separatist guerrillas on southern Mindanao island. About 60 percent of the government's 130,000-strong military is estimated to be deployed on Mindanao and adjacent islands, where fighting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been going on since mid-March.

The military further increased its strength in Mindanao on Wednesday by sending in a battalion of marines, bolstering speculation it was preparing for a major assault on the MILF's main base, Camp Abubakre. Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said the military hoped to eventually capture Abubakre.

04 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES:

MILF Warns Of Wider War If Government Attacks Main Camp

  The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) issued a warning on Tuesday of a wider war in the country's unruly south if the military attacked their main camp on Mindanao island. The rebel group issued the warning after Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said a military assault on the rebel stronghold of Camp Abubakre was an option following the rebels' refusal to give up their separatist aims.

An MILF spokesman said: "We expect this will spill over to other parts of Mindanao. We have standing orders to our field commanders authorizing them to institute measures for a counter-attack."

MANILA: Police in Manila disabled a bomb in the financial district of Makati on Monday. No one has taken responsibility for planting the bomb and the motive is unknown.

03 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Government Starts Offensive Against MILF

 Philippine troops have reportedly begun an offensive to seize the main headquarters of Muslim secessionist rebels in the southern Philippines. Philippine Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said Monday that the military will continue operations to prevent the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels from retaking "satellite rebel camps" leading to the main MILF camp, Camp Abubakar. He said that the military offensive stems from the failure of the MILF to forge a peace agreement with the government by 30 June 30.

German Reporter Kidnapped On Jolo Island

Police said a German reporter for Der Spiegel news magazine was abducted at gunpoint on Sunday by four men on the southern Philippine island of Jolo, where Moslem rebels are holding 20 mostly foreign hostages. The abduction was reported to police by the German's driver, who was with the reporter at the time of the incident. Police said four men posed as "facilitators" who promised to help the reporter interview the hostages held by the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf guerrillas.

02 July 2000 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

PHILIPPINES

Military General Killed In Plane Crash; Aviation Incidents Continue Unabated

  A top Philippine general was killed when a military plane carrying 12 people crashed into the sea off the western Philippines on Sunday. Only one passenger managed to survive. Rescuers recovered the body of Major-General Santiago Madrid, who heads the military's Western Command in the province of Palawan.

Palawan Governor Salvador Socrates was also on board, but officials did not know if he survived. Among the other passengers were two medical personnel, an official of the agrarian reform department and two children. The nine-seat Nomad plane was on a medical mission and had taken off from Cagayancillo Island en route to Puerto Princesa in Palawan province. Palawan is about 360 miles southwest of Manila. The cause of the crash was not yet known. A military report said sailors on a Philippine navy ship in the area heard an explosion shortly before the plane crashed.

Separately, a jet carrying five cabinet members, suddenly lost pressure due to a door seal leak while flying to Manila from southern Davao on Saturday night. The plane landed safely in Manila. (See stories below concerning Aquino International and Subic Bay Airports)   

Government Warplanes Bomb MILF Camp 

Philippine guerrillas said that government warplanes on Sunday bombed the largest Moslem rebel base on the southern island of Mindanao in what could be the start of a full-scale military attack. At about 0815 hours local time, eight bombs were dropped on the camp belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). According to an MILF spokesman, the bombs hit abandoned houses inside the sprawling camp of Abubakre and there were no casualties. 

Bomber planes and helicopter gunships had been attacking the camp for several days but no one has been killed or wounded. Sprawling over thousands of acres, Abubakre is the MILF's military headquarters and is defended by thousands of rebels. Until the beginning of this year, the government has allowed the MILF to maintain dozens of camps around Mindanao but started dismantling them one by one since March, saying the rebels were using them to launch strikes on populated centers.

Click here to review previous Philippines Hotspot Reports November 1997 to 01 July 2000

Return to the ERRI Hotspot Map

Return to the EmergencyNet News page