77 cases filed against Abu Sayyaf bandits

The government has filed a total of 77 cases against the Abu Sayyaf terrorists who victimized mostly foreigners in a kidnapping spree that earned the country the infamous moniker "kidnap capital of Asia," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces stressed yesterday that there was no need to court-martial three Army officers for allegedly colluding with the Abu Sayyaf for a share of the ransom.

In the case of the terrorists, however, Perez said the government is intent on pursuing the cases against the Abu Sayyaf.

"These cases are set either for arraignment, pre-trial, initial trial and continuation of trial," he told newsmen in a briefing.

The most celebrated cases are the Pearl Farm abduction in Davao, the Sipadan resort kidnapping in Malaysia, the Dos Palmas kidnapping in Palawan and the Jeffrey Schilling "walk-in" abduction in Sulu.

Government lawyers filed the 77 charges, which ranged from kidnapping, murder or frustrated murder, in various courts, mostly in Zamboanga City, some in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan and some in Pasig City.

Most prominent among the accused is Abu Sayyaf spokesman Aldam Tilao, alias Abu Sabaya, who was charged with several kidnappings as well as the beheading of American tourist Guillermo Sobero and the death of US missionary Martin Burnham last June 7.

Sobero was killed in Basilan in June 2001, two weeks after he and Burnham were abducted from the Dos Palmas resort off Puerto Princesa City.

From Dos Palmas, Sobero, Burnham along with 18 others including Burnham’s wife Gracia, were brought to Basilan where the military managed to corner them in a church-hospital compound in Lamitan town.

At Lamitan, the three Army officers – Maj. Gen. Romeo Dominguez, Col. Juvenal Narcise and Maj. Eliseo Campued – were accused of colluding with the Abu Sayyaf because the bandits managed to slip through the military cordon while several hostages were released or escaped. - With a report from Paolo Romero