Janjalani monitored in Sulu

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafi Janjalani, who has continued to elude government troops, has reportedly slipped into Sulu, the military said yesterday.

Col. Domingo Jimenez Tutaan Jr., Armed Forces Southern Command spokesman and chief of staff, said Janjalani and his bodyguards have been seen moving around Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to evade pursuing soldiers.

"We are developing the information and one of these is that Janjalani has reportedly gone to Sulu," he said.

Quoting intelligence information, Tutaan said there is no indication that Janjalani has returned to Central Mindanao where he reportedly trained with terrorists from the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Janjalani had allegedly worked inside the terror training camp of JI leaders Dulmatin and Umar Patek, key suspects in the 2002 Bali, Indonesia bombings that killed 202 people, mostly Australians and Europeans.

Janjalani, along with his top commanders — Isnilon Hapilon and Jainal Antel Sali (alias Abu Solaiman) — and the two JI terrorists reportedly slipped out of Maguindanao to escape a military offensive against terrorists.

Initially, Southcom chief Lt. Gen. Edilberto Adan said Janjalani landed on an isle off Basilan and warned the residents not to give refuge to Janjalani’s band.

Adan could not also say if the two JI leaders are with Janjalani.

On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Reymundo Ferrer, Basilan Army commander, said their relentless intelligence monitoring of the Abu Sayyaf’s remnants indicates that Janjalani has not been spotted.

The military managed to regain stability in Basilan after it successfully flushed out the Abu Sayyaf leadership in 2002 with technical assistance from the US military during the Balikatan 02-1 counterterrorism exercise, he added.

Meanwhile, Tutaan said Janjalani continued to give them the slip despite an unrelenting military manhunt for the Abu Sayyaf chieftain and his terrorist band.

"Hopefully we can get him (Janjalani)," he said. "But it’s not easy as picking candy from a candy jar."

However, Tutaan said the military’s relentless pursuit has prevented Janjalani from engaging in kidnapping and terrorist bombings.

"That is an unqualified success we have done," he said, adding "this does not mean we are resting on our laurels."

Tutaan said the more than P70 million in reward offered by the Philippine and US governments has also kept Janjalani out of the public eye.

The military manhunt forced Janjalani to go into hiding to evade government forces, and eventually led to the capture of Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement founder Hilarion del Rosario Santos (alias Ahmad Islam Santos) and his second in command, Pio de Vera.

Santos was arrested, along with seven others in a hideout in Barangay San Jose in Zamboanga City last October, while De Vera was captured last Dec. 16 in R.T. Boulevard near police Camp Batalia, also in that city.

A security net remains around key places in Mindanao where the Abu Sayyaf might attack to divert troops from their manhunt of Janjalani, Tutaan said.