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| Southeast Asia |
| Defense chief, US general assure Abu Sabaya is dead |
| 2002-06-24 |
| As doubts spread on the reported death of Abu Sabaya, Philippine and American officials expressed conviction that the bandit leader was killed in a clash with government troops Friday. "I am convinced of Abu Sabaya's demise," Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes Reyes said in a carefully worded statement. Uh, oh... Sounds like famous last words... "I'll bet my month's paycheck on that," Brigadier General Donald Wurster, the commander of American forces taking part in the Philippine-US "Balikatan" military exercises, told reporters. Hey, I could use some extra cash... Commodore Ernesto de Leon, head of the Task Force Kingfisher naval team searching for Sabaya's body, challenged detractors to prove that Sabaya was still alive. "Bring him out," De Leon said. "I challenge the Abu Sayyaf Group to prove" the military wrong. The Straits Times of Singapore reported Monday that Sabaya had allegedly been sighted in Maluso town in the island province of Basilan and was "expected to give a statement in coming days." I'd like that in $10s and $20s, please... Reyes said: "I have no reason to doubt the findings of our field units that established the fate of Abu Sabaya and his two other cohorts. I'm confident in the capability of our men and the way they did the operation. I challenge the Abu Sayyaf to prove us otherwise. They may develop an impostor, but we are sure we got Sabaya dead!" Put his head on a stake, then. Major General Ernesto Carolina, chief of the Southern Command, presented as additional proof the testimony of Abbas Samson, the village head of Matinbog in Sibuco, who was arrested last week for allegedly harboring Sabaya and his men. "The barangay (village) captain who is now with us and who is facing charges testified that Sabaya waited in his house for the pumpboat, and he saw Sabaya board the pumpboat last June 21," Carolina said. Oh, of course. Yeah. Sure. I believe him... Aside from Abbas' testimony, the military is banking on the statements of the four captured bandits and the reports made by the Special Warfare Group specialists and Marines who took part in the encounter. These "corroborate that Sabaya was in that pumpboat," Carolina said. If he's actually alive, he'll make a statement out of vanity — some sort of "nyah!" at the government and the Merkins. If he's sharkfood, he'll keep popping up, rubbing elbows with Princess Anastasia and Martin Bormann and Elvis and probably Judge Crater and Ambrose Bierce. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |