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| Southeast Asia |
| Former Abu Sayyaf members say the group is in cahoots w/ cops, journalists |
| 2005-11-15 |
| Two former Abu Sayyaf members who turned state witnesses have revealed links between the terror group and some members of the press and police office in Mindanao and Manila, in confirmation of the allegations of the military. In separate sworn statements, Malik Alimuddin alias "Malik" and Gappal Bannah alias "Boy Negro" confirmed earlier reports of the military that the Abu Sayyaf has the support of some members of the media and the police. Gappal and Malik were arrested in connection with the Makati City bus bombing last February 14 and other terrorist activities in Mindanao but they were discharged from the cases in exchange for their turning state witnesses. Government earlier issued a similar statement, saying some members of the media are suspected of backing the cause of some terror groups such as the Abu Sayyaf and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Citing raw military intelligence reports, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier named ABS-CBN television broadcaster Julius Babao as a supporter of the Abu Sayyaf after he allegedly provided the bail for Tyrone del Rosario Santos, also known as "Dawud", a member of a group of Islamic converts linked by the military to terror bombings. Dawud is the brother of Hilarion Santos alias "Ahmed", leader of the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) that is being linked to the Abu Sayyaf, Southeast Asian terror organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), and Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda. Dawud was arrested last March 22 and charged with illegal possession of explosives before a court in Alaminos, Pangasinan but he went into hiding after posting bail for his temporary liberty. Gappal, who was among those who plotted the Valentine's Day bombing in Makati City in 2005, said in his extra-judicial confession that Sayyaf leader Khaddafy Janjalani told them the group's media contacts are helping them get good press in their "propaganda war" against the government. "Maraming tumutulong sa amin na taga-media hindi lamang sa Mindanao kundi mismong Maynila, mga taga-dyaryo, telebisyon at radio. Ang mga taga-media na ito ay kanya (Janjalani) ring napapartehan sa mga perang kinikita ng ASG sa pangki-kidnap. Kaya pinagmalaki ni Janjalani na mabango kami sa press sa tulong na rin ng nasabing mga kontak sa media (Many members of the media in Mindanao and from Manila help us, from the newspapers, television and radio. The same members of the media get a cut from the money that the ASG gets from their kidnapping activities. That is why Janjalani boasts about his closeness to the press because of their contacts)," he said but did not name the "contacts". Jainal Sali alias Abu Solaiman, one of the respondents in the rebellion charges filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), was reportedly the one who gets in touch with the media contacts, supposedly to help them explain to the people the importance of establishing a Muslim state in Mindanao. His testimony was corroborated by Malik in his sworn statement during a debriefing with 1st Lieutenant Leo Madarang of the Philippine Army on October 17 in Camp Aguinaldo. "May mga myembro po ng media at iba pang kawad ng pulisya na nagbibigay ng proteksyon sa RSM at Abu Sayyaf. Ang mga supporters sa hanay ng media ay tumutulong sa mga kasapi ng RSM at ASG na nahuhuli ng mga awtoridad (There are members of the media and of the police who protect the RSM and ASG. The supporters from the media help out the RSM and ASG if they get caught)," Malik said. Aside from the media, he said there were some police officers who are supportive of their cause and provide them protection, information and even guns and ammunitions. One of them was Police Officer 3 San Amdal, who eluded arrest during a raid of his hideout in Zamboanga City last October 26. Also named respondents were Hannah Santos; Mursidi Balao; Ismael Idiris; Anne Añover; and Bodot Abdullah. They are currently detained at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo. Authorities seized from their possession a map of Metro Manila, 49 rounds of anti-tank rockets, six blasting caps, four M16 rifle bullet clips, ammunition bandoleers, electrical tools, computers and subversive documents. Malik said his role in the RSM was to identify those who would compose a planned terror attack and their respective roles. He was also charged with taking care of putting in a bank account money from contacts in Indonesia. He said the group had been planning to launch an attack at the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC), which earlier convicted Indonesian and suspected JI leader Rohmat Abdurrahim and his Filipino cohorts Angelo Trinidad alias "Tapay," and Gamal Baharan alias "Abu Khalil" in connection with the Valentine's Day bus bombing in Makati that killed four people and wounded 60 others. "He opened an account with Land Bank in Zamboanga under his name, but the account was being used to get funding from foreign sources. His role basically was to deposit, withdraw and deliver money to Ahmed," Malik's lawyer Raymund Palad said. Sometime in October or before they were arrested, Malik withdrew P9,500 from the bank, supposedly for their every day expense. The money supposedly came from Indonesia. Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, head of the Department of Justice Task Force on Rebellion, said government has already asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (Amlac) to determine if there are other bank accounts being used by the group to put in force its terror activities. When Malik was presented to Gonzalez, he was greeted by Bannah. All 18 ASG and RSM suspects were arraigned for rebellion before the sala of Makati RTC Judge Encarnacion Moya last November 10. Aside from Ahmed's group, also charged but are still at-large were Ahmed's brother Dawud; Janjalani, Amdal, Fatima Santos; Khalil Pareja alias "Rash" or "Raffy"; Pio De Vera, Abdul Kareem Ayeras, Omar Lavilla, and Mike Rueca alias "Britney" or "Ashty Dan." Velasco said the accused violated Article 134 in relation to Article 135 of the Revised Penal Code for rebellion, a non-bailable offense, for allegedly advocating a separate and independent "Islamic State". He said since 2000, the accused "rose publicly and took arms against the Philippine Government for purposes of removing from the allegiance to the government or its laws, the territory of the Republic of the Philippines." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |