Gov’t struggling to cut Abu funds

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A top Defense official has admitted they have not been able to break the financial backbone of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf or stop its funding from external sources.

Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina said government efforts to break the financial backbone of the Abu Sayyaf had been futile despite successes in neutralizing its top leaders.

“In spite of the fact that we have succeeded in getting many of their leaders, we have yet to determine how to break the cord that connects them to external sources. That is what we are trying to achieve – to break that connection,” Carolina told the forum here on Disaster Management for Local Chief Executives for Region 9 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Carolina said it is not surprising for the Abu Sayyaf to seek new sources of funds from abroad to sustain their terror activities in the country.

Reports earlier gathered by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency indicated the Abu Sayyaf had been getting financial assistance from outside the country.

The Abu Sayyaf has utilized the video clips of their late founder Abdurajak Janjalani and his slain younger brother Khaddafy in appealing for financial assistance.

Carolina admitted it would be difficult to end the external financial sources in a single stroke.

But he pointed to evidence that the Abu Sayyaf is getting financial support from the regional Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Carolina said the government has implemented tighter security measures in the effort to prevent money from getting into the hands of the Abu Sayyaf.

“What is important here (is) we know that we are not just running after the armed terrorists but we are also tightening their source of funding and their organization links,” Carolina added. - Roel Pareño