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Safe conduct pass issued to Abu Sayyaf member?
A TV reporter here said she feared her life could be in danger after she got hold of a confidential military document issued to an arrested Abu Sayyaf suspect. Ronan Lomongo, a reporter of IBC-ABC 11 news, said an unidentified source gave her a copy of a safe-conduct pass supposedly issued by the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) to Sparle Amiruddin, alias Abu Omar.Amiruddin, also known as Abu Samurai and Abu Taliban, was one of the planners of the May 2002 Dos Palmas kidnapping of at least 21 people. He was also allegedly involved in bomb attacks here. Amiruddin, an alleged conduit of the Jemaah Islamiyah in Mindanao, was arrested here on April 24. Among the documents seized from the suspect was a safe-conduct pass signed by Maj. Romulo Quemado, commander of the MIG in Western Mindanao, Lomongo said. The MIG is a unit of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The document, which grants an individual safe passage through military and police checkpoints, was supposedly issued on March 7 and expired on April 7. Lomongo said the one who gave her the document suspected that the Abu Sayyaf operation in the city had the blessing of some military officers. I am really afraid, the person who gave me the document wanted to publicize the wrongdoings of some military officers, Lomongo told the Inquirer. But Quemado said he did not consider the supposed safe-conduct pass an issue. If indeed he has a copy, it may be fake and does not hold water, Quemado said. Senior Supt. Francisco Cristobal, city police director, said arrested suspects could always claim anything, including the alleged issuance of a safe-conduct pass. If in case there is one, the Isafp is directly responsible in the investigation since the MIG-9 is one of its units, he said. Cristobal said a safe-conduct pass could only be issued to members of recognized rebel organizations, whenever theres peace negotiation or dialogue. But as far as we are concerned, we dont have any idea of a military unit releasing a pass, especially to a suspected Abu Sayyaf member, Cristobal said. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-05-02 |
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