MILF expels Janjalani from lair

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has finally kicked out Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and his band of extremists from MILF territory in Central Mindanao, a senior military official said yesterday.

Maj. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, commanding general of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the MILF informed the elusive Janjalani in a letter last Thursday that he and his men should leave the territory under the control of the Muslim separatist rebels in Maguindanao.

Dema-ala, however, raised suspicions that the MILF, which continues to hold peace talks with the government, has been coddling Janjalani and alleged terrorists.

The insinuation was quickly denied by MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, although he admitted that Janjalani and his group briefly sought sanctuary in an MILF-controlled territory in Duigonlongan town in Maguindanao. But they were subsequently driven out by MILF fighters, he said.

Dema-ala said the MILF wrote Janjalani’s group, asking them to leave their turf.

Kabalu, on the other hand, claimed they chased the bandits out of Duingolongan.

Military troops are scouring Upi and Talayan towns in Maguindanao, where Abu Sayyaf members are believed to be hiding out.

Kabalu said Janjalani’s group numbered around 30. Dema-ala could not give an estimate.

Renewed allegations that the MILF has been coddling terrorists came ahead of the resumption of decades-long peace talks set for later this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

During the last round of talks earlier this year, both sides agreed that the MILF would evict suspected terrorist groups from their strongholds.

Arrested terror suspects have confirmed that the MILF was in cahoots with the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian network of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda.

Indonesian JI member Rohmat claimed that an MILF member was tasked to bomb Metro Manila during the last Holy Week break. The plan never materialized.

Janjalani, brother of slain Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Janjalani, has successfully eluded his pursuers since his group launched a couple of high-profile kidnappings in 2001.

Other top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf have been tracked down by authorities, including its spokesman and Sulu-based leader, Abu Sabaya.

Sabaya was killed in an encounter with military forces in June 2002 while Andang was captured in December 2003 but was killed in a jailbreak attempt last March along with other bandit leaders.

Janjalani is wanted by both the Philippines and the United States for his role in kidnapping Filipino and American tourists from a posh resort in Palawan in 2001. He was also implicated in the kidnapping of tourists at Sipadan Island in Malaysia the year before.

Janjalani and his men were nearly captured at the height of the 2001 hostage crisis when they were cornered with their hostages at a hospital in Lamitan, Basilan.

But they managed to sneak past the authorities, prompting rumors of collusion between the military and the bandits as hefty ransoms were allegedly paid for the release of the captives. Investigations, however, failed to prove the connivance.

The May 2001 abduction was the start of a year-long kidnapping spree, causing the US military to send troops and instructors to train Filipino soldiers in counter-terrorism measures.