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| Southeast Asia |
| Filippino military watching Janjalani's moves |
| 2004-04-26 |
| THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) main headquarters in Manila confirmed Friday that Abu Sayyaf Chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani's movement is closely being monitored by government troops here in the South, but refused to reveal his exact whereabouts, lest it will jeopardize the on-going operation. The Information Officer of the Chief of Staff, Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero, disclosed that the troops have been "trailing the shadow" of Janjalani and his elite group, and it's just a matter of time when "they (Janjalani and his group members) can be pinned down at the right place and at the right time." "We are closing in on him and we can not disclose to you in detail as these are operational matters," Lucero said. Lucero neither denied nor confirmed if Janjalani and his small group have slipped out of his known sanctuary in Palembang, Sultan Kudarat, in Central Mindanao, where he has been said to be in hiding since last year. An intelligence report that Janjalani and his group have returned to Basilan lately to consolidate his remaining loyal forces and also to rescue to his side the remaining 20 escapees, seven of them Abu Sayyaf suspects, is being looked into by Southcom. The 20 escapees staged a Black Saturday mass jail break along with 33 others last April 10 from Basilan the provincial jail in Sumagdang, Isabela. Southcom chief Lt. General Roy Kyamko has alerted his troops in Basilan to check the veracity of the report before launching hot-pursuit operation against then the eluding Abu Sayyaf leader and his group members, who accordingly wanted to reach Lantawan, the terrorists' birth place, where the remaining fugitives have fled and are being pursued for their recapture by government forces. Southcom spokesman Lt. Col. Renoir Pascua revealed the military has been alerted especially in Basilan where Janjalani and close-in security Abu Sayyaf escorts could have returned based on an unconfirmed intelligence report reaching their headquarters. 103rd Army Brigade Commander Col. Rey Ferrer, the over-all military commander in Basilan island was directed to deploy operatives including covert assets to carefully ascertain the report. Earlier, Ferrer assured that with four battalions under his command in Basilan, the dreaded Abu Sayyaf group and the existing MILF rebels in the province will not be capable of disturbing his AOR, especially this coming May 10 polls. He also belittled the recent escape of 53 prisoners, 33 of them we were recovered with 11 killed, as an isolated incident. He expressed confidence that the remaining escapees -- all hoed-out in the forested complex of the adjacent town of Lantawan -- will soon fall into the military hands. As for the MILF, Ferrer revealed that the rebels, particularly in Tuburan, Tipi-Tipo and Maluso towns, have shown their participation for the coming polls by attending political rallies and welcoming campaign sorties of candidates visiting their claimed territories. The military had earlier declared that Janjalani, whose bounty for his capture dead or alive, has increased to P10 million by the government would fall "very soon." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |