The captured operative admitted having come from a meeting with the top Abu Sayyaf leadership somewhere in Maguindanao province. Among those in the conference were Janjalani and Sulaiman, masterminds of the recent terror attacks.
Under interrogation, the captive terrorist disclosed that the Abu Sayyaf leadership had ordered two major attacks launched soon. One attack would be in the metropolitan area and the other will either be in Cagayan de Oro or Davao City.
Further interrogation should bring out more specific details that will allow our security forces to intercept and abort the planned terrorist strikes. The terrorists sent out from the Abu Sayyaf base will be passing through a tight security gauntlet set up by the military and the police precisely to frustrate such a strike.
The important capture is the headline story. But beneath it might be another story with significant implications.
The captured Indonesian terrorist tells us he had recently met with the top Abu Sayyaf leadership in Maguindanao province. And yet, these guys are not supposed to be there.
The Abu Sayyaf, from what is publicly known about this bandit gang, is a largely Tausog phenomenon. This gang was rooted in Basilan and Sulu, solidly Tausog provinces. Lately, we know they have set up operations in the Zamboanga peninsula, also Tausog populated.
Recall that the largest Abu Sayyaf operation was the sacking of Ipil town a decade ago. The voluble former Abu Sayyaf spokesman, Abu Sabaya, was killed off the Zamboanga coast.
The main Abu camp in Sulu has been overrun by the Army. We know, too, that military operations against the bandit group have been on-going in the Zamboanga Sibugay area.
Now we are being told that Janjalani and company are in Maguindanao, historically a base for of the MILF. The bandits are reportedly enjoying the hospitality of their friends in the area, presumably in the base areas of the MILF.
Army spokesmen are careful not to let this valuable capture cause a political fallout that might adversely affect the forthcoming formal talks between the government peace panel and the MILF. They are not openly accusing the MILF of coddling the terrorists, although they allowed it to be said that some bad elements in the MILF could be giving the bandits aid and comfort.
Still, questions beg to be asked.
In the on-going peace negotiations between government and the MILF, good faith is presumed on both sides. I’ve heard MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu say many times that his organization is not engaged in terrorist activities and will, in fact, cooperate with government to cause neutralization of terrorist elements.
Now, a freshly captured Al Qaeda operative tells us that, as intensive military operations are being conducted in Sulu and Zamboanga, the Abu Sayyaf leadership is cooling its heels in Maguindanao territory. No wonder they could not be found in those areas where the military is hunting them down.
Are we to believe that the largely Tausog Abu Sayyaf has managed to surreptitiously slip into Maguindanao territory without the network of the MILF detecting them?
Are we to believe that a few "bad elements" in the MILF were able to provide sanctuary to the Abu leaders, their security details, their camp followers and any number of their Al Qaeda guests without the senior leaders of the secessionist Islamic movement finding out about it?
Must we now believe that the MILF is so badly organized that, right in their main base areas, smaller units are able to defy what should be the policy of the movement and actually provide aid and comfort to terrorists?
Or, is the MILF playing games with us again?
It is a shuddering thought, but it must be entertained: The MILF could be maintaining a duplicitous strategy where, in one hand, they concede to their seniors in the Islamic Conference that a peace agreement is desirable while, on the other hand, the movement supports parallel groups engaged in attacks against government and population centers.
In the light of the disclosures of the captured Indonesian terrorist, the MILF owes us an explanation. Eid Kabalu must now step forward and tell us why Janjalani and company has found safe haven in his movement’s base areas.
This is not the first time that a clear explanation needs to be given us by the MILF leadership. A few years ago, criminal gangs such as the Pentagon group, operated freely out of MILF base areas. That invited military operations in 2000 intending to dismantle the encampments.
A clear explanation from the MILF is made even more urgent by the formal peace negotiations scheduled for next month. Those negotiations require a high degree of confidence in the stated policies of the secessionist movement.
The Philippine government, without doubt, is anxious to conclude a peace agreement with the MILF. In good faith, and for the success of the negotiations, military operations carefully stayed away from MILF areas with the assurance from the latter that they will do their share in clamping down on the terrorist elements.
The capture of the Indonesian operatives now throws up a large cloud of suspiciousness on the eve of formal negotiations. That is not a healthy development.
If there is more evidence that MILF elements are sheltering Abu Sayyaf leaders, military operations will have to be conducted in areas acknowledged to be under the influence of the main secessionist movement. The MILF will either cooperate with such an anti-terrorist campaign or stand aside while the Army comes down to get Janjalani and his top commanders.
It is the MILF’s responsibility at this point to deliver a clear message. The forthcoming peace talks must not be an excuse for the Abu leaders to continue enjoying sanctuary in the MILF areas.