Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani is very much alive -- so says the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
| Of course, they said Khattab was alive, too, until he started to stink... |
MILF spokesperson Eid "Lipless Eddie" Kabalu yesterday disputed military reports that the emir of the al-Qaeda-linked terror group might have been killed in an aerial bombardment in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, on Nov. 19. Kabalu said that, based on the result of a "joint investigation" conducted by the government and the MILF ceasefire committee, there was no indication that Janjalani had died in the attack.
| "Coulda been he wuz dead before the attack!" |
There were "no fatalities, except for one MILF fighter wounded," in that incident, Kabalu said.
| ... except for the puppies, kittens, fluffy bunies, and baby ducks... |
In Zamboanga City, Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said that aside from "intelligence reports," a civilian informant and an MILF surrenderee had corroborated other reports about the "death" of the elusive bandit leader. "And now we are challenging the ASG to prove that Janjalani is alive and produce him in whatever manner, proving he is really alive and active," Braganza said. The Inquirer story "is very revealing, [and is] based on our intelligence source," Braganza said. He said that "we have an ongoing effort to locate the burial site or the remains of Janjalani in the general area of Datu Piang, Maguindanao."
The National Bureau of Investigation's director for Central Mindanao, Silvino Cinches, also disputed reports about Janjalani's supposed death, saying he had received information the rebel chief had been sighted in Malaysia and in Indonesia. In Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Efren Abu said he had received a report that Janjalani was killed in the Nov. 19 air attack but that another military report had stated Janjalani had also been sighted in South Cotabato. "We have been receiving reports that Janjalani is dead but we cannot confirm this report," Abu said. "Since then, we have been receiving reports that Janjalani is somewhere in South Cotabato. That is one thing that has been giving us an idea that he is still alive." |