Ex-FBI agent asks government to pass anti-terrorism bill

A retired US law enforcer testifying in the trial of the alleged kidnappers of Americans Jeffrey Shilling and Gracia Burnham asked Congress here yesterday to work for the immediate passage of an anti-terrorism law.

John Gray, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s lead investigator who looked into the snatching of Americans by the Abu Sayyaf, relayed this request to Ricardo Diaz, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Interpol Division chief, when he visited him in his office, and during a telephone conversation.

"Just before he left, he said the Philippines should have an anti-terrorism bill to strengthen the efforts of law enforcers in eradicating terrorism in the country," Diaz quoted Gray as saying.

Diaz said Gray told him a law against terrorism would give more teeth to the counter-terrorist operations of the government.

"Now that we do not have an existing anti-terrorism act, we only have three days to apprehend the terrorist, and if we have captured the suspects we have another 36 hours to file charges against them," he said.

However, Diaz said three days is not enough time for law enforcers to thoroughly investigate a crime because they have to sift through the debris, interview the surviving victims and witnesses, and look for the triggering device to prove that the explosion was caused by a bomb.

"If the lawmakers would only extend the investigation of a terrorist case for a week, it would be a big help to the investigators," he said.

Diaz said if authorities are unable to establish an arrested person’s connection to a terrorist bombing within three days, the authorities have no recourse but to set him free.

"If we do that, the suspect will surely go into hiding and even bid goodbye to the Philippines. Why else would he stay when he would only be arrested?" he said.

Diaz also appealed to lawmakers to impose stiffer penalties on the convicted terrorists.

"Right now, those apprehended of committing a terrorist act are only charged with physical injuries, damage to property, homicide and/or murder," he said.

Diaz said Gray was called by the Department of Justice to help wrap up the case against the suspected kidnappers of the Americans.

The NBI has deployed 12 agents to secure Gray until he leaves today, he added.

Gray arrived on Monday and stood as the last prosecution witness in the kidnapping and serious illegal detention case against the eight suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf accused of kidnapping tourists, including three Americans from the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan in 2001.

The trial was held in a special courthouse in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

Apart from Gracia, the other kidnapped Americans were her husband, Martin, and Guillermo Sobero, while Shilling was taken hostage after reportedly visiting the Abu Sayyaf hideout in the jungles of Sulu.

Sobero was beheaded in Sulu, while Martin, along with Filipina nurse Edibora Yap, were killed during a military rescue operation in the jungles of Zamboanga del Norte.

Invoking "extrajudicial jurisdiction," the US government has filed criminal charges against Abu Sayyaf leaders in a federal court in Washington D.C.

Warrants of arrests have been issued against Khaddafy Janjalani, Abu Solaiman, Isnilon Hapilon and Abu Patima.

The US government claims that "extrajudicial jurisdiction" entitles it to file charges against those who committed terrorist acts against Americans in any country in the world.

US prosecutors used evidence gathered by the FBI to file charges against the Abu Sayyaf leaders in the US.

The pieces of evidence were supplied by the Philippine National Police, NBI, and interviews with hostage victims and witnesses. — Evelyn Macairan