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| Southeast Asia |
| All in the family? |
| 2002-06-14 |
| Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya grew up with the grandmother of nurse Ediborah Yap in southern Philippines. Lola (Grandma) Rosa Pamaran told ABS CBN that Sabaya, his four siblings and his mother stayed in her house in Lamitan, Basilan, when Sabaya was a young boy. "He was an ordinary boy. He was kind and quiet. He always followed orders and responded properly whenever sent on an errand," recounted Pamaran. "Quiet. Kind of a loner..." "He stayed with us because his father had left the family," recalled Pamaran. She did not say when Sabaya and his family left the Pamaran household. He had the cliche troubled childhood... "When Ediborah was kidnapped last year, we sent word to Sabaya and requested her release," revealed Pamaran. "He felt compassion for Ediborah when we made the request." She did not give details such as when her family sent a message to Sabaya for Yap's release. "We still remember him as a kind and humble boy although others said he has become arrogant and fierce," said Pamaran. And was responsible for Ediborah getting killed... She recalled having a brief dialogue with Sabaya when the latter had grown up but was not yet identified as the Abu Sayyaf spokesman. "At that time, I asked him about his work, and he said he had none although his family had managed to build a house," Pamaran said. "I was really surprised when I learned that he had become an Abu Sayyaf member. I think deep in his heart he is kind. He was just brain-washed by the Abu Sayyaf Group." So the lad came into money about the time he became a big-time Meanwhile, Yap's son, Jonathan, said he does not believe reports which claimed that his mother was forced to marry Abu Sayyaf leader, Isnilon Hapilon, while she was in captivity. "There were reports saying that, but many times I said they were not true," stated Jonathan Yap. On the other hand, the Bad Guys said she'd become a good Muslim at the last, didn't they? |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |