US to file raps versus Schilling

American Jeffrey Craig Schilling will face criminal charges in the United States after American officials found out that he was a "walk-in hostage" of the Abu Sayyaf bandits, a police official said yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Romulo Sales, Philippine National Police (PNP) director for intelligence, told The STAR agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are in the country to gather evidence to pin down Schilling.

"They are coordinating with us for the filing of criminal charges against Mr. Schilling for the embarrassment that he caused the US government," he said.

Sales said FBI agents apparently showed "great disappointment" upon learning about the conduct of Schilling, who has been reportedly involved in a string of offenses in the US before he came to the country.

"You can just imagine the negative reaction generated by Schilling’s reported abduction towards the international community," he said. "The US government won’t allow Schilling to get away with the blunder."

Police said yesterday two captured Abu Sayyaf leaders, Hector Janjalani and Asheed Alling Albani, told investigators that Schilling had arranged with Ghalib Andang, alias Commander Robot, the American’s make-believe abduction.

Janjalani and Albani were arrested by police intelligence agents last Dec. 22 while negotiating with an unidentified person for the sale of a video tape of Schilling taken inside the bandits’ hideout in the jungles of Sulu.

The video tape reportedly shows Schilling strapped to a tree, with his hands and feet tied with a rope, and being guarded by heavily armed men.

The Abu Sayyaf bandits have reportedly wanted to sell Schilling’s tape to the Cable News Network (CNN) Asian office in Singapore for $1 million but the news agency was willing to pay only $300, local reports said.