Sana paglabas ng kulom na ito ay nakabalik ng ligtas sina Mary Jean Lacaba Filipina), Andreas Notter (Swiss) at Eugenio Vagni (Italian), ang tatlong International Red Cross (IRC) workers ha hawak ng bandidong grupong Abu Sayaff.
Habang sinusulat ko ito (Miyerkules ng umaga), walang balita na may napugutan sa kanila na siyang banta ni Albader Parad, ang lider ng grupo na may hawak sa tatlong hostages sa kanyang. Sabi ni Parad, pupugut siya ng ulo ng isang hostage kapag hindi nag-pull out sa Sulu ang military ng alas 2 ng hapon Marso 31.
Ayun kay Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, nang tanungin noong Martes ng hapon si Parad kung may ginawa silang masama sa mga hostages, ang sagot ay “Wala akong masabi.” Kaya, hindi talaga natin alam kung ano ang nangyayari doon sa bundok ng Jolo.
Ngunit sa ganitong krisis, kahit katiting na pag-asa kakapitan mo. Sabi nga ni Sen. Richard Gordon, director ng IRC, “No news is good news.”
Sa krisis na ito na nagsimula pa noong Enero 15 (dalawang buwan at kalahati na!) nang kinidnap ang tatlo sa Jolo habang nagbibisita sa municipal jail para sa proyekto para magkaroon ng tubig doon, ang Abu Sayaff ang dumidikta ang sitwasyon. Sila kasi ang mayhawak ng alas.
Madali naman lusubin ng military at pagbubumbahin ang mga bandido ngunit ang kaligtasan ng mga hostages ang isinasa-alang alang. Ayaw naman natin mangyari ang “Tagumpay ang operasyon. Patay ang mga bihag.” Ang kaligtasan ng mga hostages ngayon ang priority.
Habang nagdarasal ako para sa kaligtasan ng mga hostages, ini-isip ko ang kalagagayan nila at ng kanilang mga pamilya. Sa tensyon lang siguro, parang ilang beses na yan sila namatay. Talaga namang grabe itong kanilang dinada-anan.
Alam naman natin ang sama ng loob ni Gordon sa military na sinasabi niya sana ay napalabas sana ang isang bihag noong isang linggo pa kung pinagbigyan ang kahilingan ng bandidong grupo na magwithdraw.
Sa report kahapon ni Ces Drilon ng ABS-CBN, ayon kay Gordon raw, magpapalbas na naman sana ang ASG ng isang bihag kung aalis sa lugar na yun ang 800 na sundalo ngunit hindi raw pumayag ang military.
Naintindihan ko rin naman ang lagay ng military. Maliban sa mga bihag, may obligasyon din naman silang prutektahan ang mamamayan doon. Hindi naman maaring i-surrender mo na na lang ang Jolo sa mga bandido May mga namatay na nga na mga sundalo sa operasyon na ito.
Ang sabi ng marami ay akala ko ba wala na ang mga Abu Sayaff na yan. Di ba sinabi ni Gloria Arroyo nang una siyang umupo noong 2001 ay , “Isang bala ka lang!” Tone-tonelada nang bala ang naubos, bakit mukhang lumalakas pa yan.
Magdasal na lang muna tayo.
Ayayayayayayay!
Nation of servants? Well, not quite true!
Nation of kidnappers? Hmmm… true!
Nation of beheaders? Aha… we’re getting there.
Seriously, how could the govt have allowed this thing to go this far. Mindanao Examiner was already blowing the emergency siren a month ago or so ago bout this but little or nothing was heard of this until recently.
Very very slow reaction. (So very Belgianesque!)
Ellen,
““Isang bala ka lang!” Tone-toneladang bala ang naubos, bakit mukhang lumalakas pa yan.”
Heheheh! Paano naman, puro mga blanks na bala ang ginagamit — iyong pambili ng totoong bala ay ninanakaw ng punyetang Gloria na yan at ng mga alagad niyang walang silbing mga heneral.
Isa pa, puro kalokohan ngayon ang mga walanghiyang heneral ang inaatupag kaya ayan walang strategy, ni tactical operation fail pa rin.
Kunyari may Amerikano pang advisers sila, pero pareho lang ni BGen Ilagan — nagpapa-piggy back lang sa isang foot soldier. Paano naman mananalo sa laban ang ating mga sundalo kung ang mga officers nila ay puro duwag (pati sa tubig duwag umapak pareho ng gagong si Ilagan.)
Dapat, pakawalan na ang mga tunay na sundalo na may abilidad. Imagine yong mga veteran mindanao foot soldiers, ano ang ginawa ng mga walahiyang alagad ni Gloria? Dinischarge pa nila.
Sorry to say this but I don’t trust Gov Tan and much as what I’m about to say may constitute defamation, Tan has been known to be “financial savvy.”
You forgot to mention “Nation of Thieves”. Never in the history of the Philippines have we ever been branded with many insulting names…only in this evil Arroyo government.
MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE:
In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say “PEACE.”
A Prayer:
O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will but also those of evil will. And in remembering the suffering they inflicted upon us, honor the fruits we have borne thanks to this suffering — our comradeship, our humility, our compassion, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown out of all this; and when they come to the judgment, let all the fruits that we have borne, be their forgiveness…
Eh kung di kasi pinatalsik si Erap ng evil society sana wala ng problema ngayon sa Mindanao! Noong panahon niya, na wipe out ang Abu Sayaf at MILF! Kaya hanggang ngayon Erap is well loved in Mindanao!
I agree with Andres.
Abu Sayyaf: Parang ipis na kahit wala ng ulo e mabubuhay at mabubuhay pa rin.
Sa totoo lang, wala akong marinig o mabasang magandang balita sa Pinas, except about Manny, the Pacman, Pacquiao.Sad to say na pati itong si Pacquiao ay kinukurap ni Fat Guy!
Itong Abu Sayaff, ang tagal tagal na problema niyan ah. Bakit, dahil ginagamit ni Gloria iyan sa kapakanan niya. ‘Ta niyo ha, gagamitin niyan excuse yan o di kaya MILF na excuse na magkaroon ng martial law kung sakaling di matupad ang ambisyon ni Gloria na manatili sa puwesto.
Re why Abu Sayyaff is “successful” at what it does: terrorism
They are successful because of the lingering poverty in that region. Alright, poverty does not cause terrorism per se. In fact it is wonderful how often the poorest amongst us are the most generous and best mannered.
However, it is a sad fact that Abu Sayyaff terrorists base themselves in the impoverished areas of Mindanao; they hides in the reigon’s poorest communiites.
However, without the poverty stricken areas in Mindanao and the seething mass of poor people to hide in, I’m sure the Abu Sayyaf terrorists would find hiding and training, much more difficult.
This is no fallacy: It is still the appalling poverty in Mindanao that creates that environment for the Abu Sayyaff to thrive.
As usual, delayed reaction palagi itong gobyerno na ‘to. Kung kailan, huli na ang lahat saka palang mag-rereact. Siyempre, mas inaatupag ang pagkurakot at magpakasarap sa nakaw na yaman. Hayyy!!!!
My prayers goes to the victims and their love ones.
Looks like to me that Jolo is changing for the worse and that the Abu Sayaff dream of taking over the region is a step closer.The government must act now or else everything we Filipinos have achieved in the last couple of centuries will be wiped out by the influx of terrorist ideas and beliefs. Our children will not be safe as they will be taught to fire armalites instead of scribing alphabets and numbers on pad paper as part of their religious studies in Jihadist beliefs. Our streets will not be safe as terrorist and insurgents will roam freely.The government must act now before they change Mindanao to Abu Sayyaf devil’s land!
We must be very VIGILANT! Style ng gobierno ngayon kumita na noong panahon ni Marcos. Replay baga. Kung ginusto, matagal ng wipe-out ang mga bandidong ‘yan! BUT, very, very lucrative business ang pangingidnap and ransom kaya double purpose daw ang motive! (Lord, I hope this is only a rumor).
Stop calling the government for help! It’s helping DAW the other side!
Naisahan na naman ang AFP! Mukhang naitakas ng Abus yung mga kidnapped kahit na lahat ng check point eh bantay sarado kuno kuno. These bandits must know alternate routes that our soldiers do not know.
These bandits must be operating in cahoots with local politicians (maybe even in the higher positions) and high ranking military officers. Nilalaro lang tayo ng mga hoodlums na ito. Baka nga naman ma-extend pa ng isang taon itong CAT and MOUSE game na ito and it will come in handy for the evil bitch to use this as a reason to declare MARTIAL LAW. Who knows. Pandak and her lapdogs are constantly cooking up something to ensure her perpetual reign. The pandak is distancing herself from this kidnapping of the Red Cross personnel. Mabuti pa si Gordon medyo napapaiyak pa!
To think that we would have given Mindanao to these hoodlums kung hindi pa napigilan ng Supreme Court! Kinikilabutan ako!
The government will not rid these areas of all these atrocities. How else can we justify the foreign AIDS on terrorism? How else can we justify the presence of the US troops in these areas. These kidnapping activities are BIG businesses! Malapit na naman ang elections (if there will be any). Di nga ba itong mga lupa sa Mindanao ang rason kung bakit mag-Charter Change daw kuno? These fertile lands are those being eyed at for “future development” o ibebenta sa mga dayuhan!
How else can you justify the ability of a few hundred men to terrorize thousands of local folks and evade thousands of the military deployed in the area kung walang mga “powerful” na backers?
Erap was the only leader who was genuinely committed to ending the Mindanao problem. Kaya yun, tinanggal siya! One plus one is equal to two di ba? Maraming may pakulo ng kaguluhan sa Mindanao. Maraming nakikinabang sa kaguluhan diyan. Habang ang nakaupo na namumuno sa bansa eh CORRUPT hindi hihinto and mga sindikatong ganito, Abus etc. It is like one is scratching the other’s back! These CORRUPT and HOODLUM groups cannot survive without the help of the other.
Remember Military Lawyer Capt. Candy Rivas? She was accused of helping fugitive Capt. Faeldon. She was discharged from the service. But, why is she detained in jail? Let’s also pray for her.
@parasabayan
“Erap was the only leader who was genuinely committed to ending the Mindanao problem. Kaya yun, tinanggal siya!”
I agree on this. Si Erap lang ata ang alam kong presidente na gumawa ng galaw against Abu Sayyaf. Kaya nga yung sinasabi nilang Edsa Dos e puro plastik naman ang mga politikong naandun, na nagsulsol sa mga tao na si Gloria ang messiah (pwe!) kuno at mas better kay erap.
Naloko, nauto at nagkamali sila kasi they chose the person more evil than Erap himself.
Kaya nakakatamad bumoto ngayong eleksyon. Baket? Sawa na ako sa hitsura ng mga pulitiko dito sa atin. Ang plaplastik kasi ng karamihan sa kanila.
Silver, huwag kang mawalan ng gana sa eleksiyon ngayon. Ang mga kabataan ay nagmamasid. Hindi nila mauuto ang mga tao sa lahat ng oras!
Can anyone tell me if this Chavit Singson is performing his duties as Governor of Ilocos Sur and as Deputy National Security Adviser? As usual, he’s currently in the US with Manny Pacquiao. Assuming Manny has fights twice a year and he needs to train abroad three months each, that means six months of training. If we include the fight itself, then Singson is out of the country almost the whole year. He must not be allowed to receive his pay both as Governor and Security Adviser while accompanying Manny most of the time.
I don’t know how the military and Malacanang morons can solve these hostage situation in Jolo.I don’t know if you have ever noticed, but the loyalty oath taken by illegal president, as well as the one cited by our foot soldiers in the armed forces requires the speaker to pledge to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” Notice they don’t say “preserve, protect and defend the government of Malacanang.” If I were required to recite it this way, I would refuse.
I don’t know what I find more incomprehensible – that these low-grade morons sitting there asses in Malacanang actually believe and spout this bilge on a daily basis, or the low-grade morons general who sit in front of their televisions watching WOWOWEE, soaking it up as if it were gospel truth.
What’s worse is that this crappy general is on the payroll of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from the remittance of the OFW from the idiotic country of Chip Tsao yet,the wing commander could not get his fighter jet engine started because the battery is missing, and they’ve actually seen this garbage on it. I don’t know how our troops can stand it.
Inquirer report:
‘Simple-minded’ Also Wednesday, Malacañang admitted that it had underestimated the Abu Sayyaf bandits holding the three Red Cross workers. “We thought they were simple-minded,” Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in an ambush interview. “But they thought of that precisely (because) they knew the international repercussion that would put pressure on the national government.”Sanamagan! Unbelievable!
Did Edong Ermita really say that? That they at Malacanang didn’t think the Abu Sayyaff were smart enough to outwit them and by extension the hostage crisis wasn’t serious enough?
I’m just simply absolutely incredibly gobsmacked!!!
Edong Ermita, supposedly a former 3 star general who had served with PhilCag in Vietnam and the “hero” of Batangas (daw), committed an atrocious mistake that not even an ordinary soldier would!!! That he had the gall to say he thought the Abu Sayyaff were simple minded implying those terrorists weren’t to be taken seriously.
What kind of shit is that? Those bandits have been taking them for a ride since time immemorial and he says he thought they were “simple minded?”
WTF are these good for nothing people up to?
Those poor IRC hostages have been held hostage for weeks before these bastards in Malacanang even deigned lift a finger! And the reason? They didn”t think the Abu Sayyaff were smart enough to play with them.
Excuse me Edong but because we’ve been friends, I believe I owe it to you not to lie; I believe you are a bonehead and you don’t deserve the position you’re in and by gum, you are one lucky bastard because if I were superiour I would have stripped you of all those stars and demote you illico to toilet cleaning.
“Simple minded?” How the Abu Sayyaff must be wishing they could puke in your face!
And what’s even more incredible is Puno has just admitted that he knows Singaporean terrorist is helping the Abu Sayyaff
That the fellow acted as an interpreter for the Abu Sayyaff for the negotiation…
How can our national government, our police, our military and their chiefs be so daft?
Ellen,
Gloria, Ermita, Puno and their pulis-pulisan and their cotterie of cocktail parlour generals truly deserve to be hanged drawn and quartered for downright stupidity! Just never heard of a bunch of people holding high positions in government who are as mentally debilitated as these guys.
Swiss hostage may have been shot according to a report by The Mindanao Examiner
If we have the same God, He knows who prays more with sincerity. Preponderance of prayers counts more in court or in God’s favor.
ito simpleng observation lang.
sa sitwasyon, bakit kasi sina gordon, ang militar, ang pulis, at lalo na gobyerno ni gloria, hindi magkaisa kung anong solusyon ang nararapat para makipag-deal sa mga lintek na teroristang ito?
ang gusto ng militar, sugod (kahit yung mga pinuno nila duwag); samantalang ang gusto ni gordon, pakikipag-usap. alin ba talaga ang nararapat na paraan para masugpo na itong mga abusadong kidnappers na ito?
kung aasa sa “gentleman’s agreement” kuno na siyang binabasehan ni gordon, naku, walang mangyayari din. utak-ipis mga terorista na ito, kailan ba napatunayan na may word of honour ang mga yan?
para sa akin, ibigay mo ang kamay mo, ang hihingin, ang braso, pag naubos na ang isang kamay, isang kamay pa ang gusto. walang patutunguhan ang negotiation na yan.
pero ang talagang kailangan: firm hand and decision-making ang dapat gawin para masugpo sila. kaso nga lang, what a pity, yung kumainder in thief, walang alam! hindi niya na alam kung ano talaga ang gagawin. abala kasi sa pag-isip at pagpakana kung papaano siya manatili sa palasyo forever and ever!
kawawang mga hostages, lalong kinakawawa ng mga pangyayari.
kung di nga ba naman kasi, masyadong na-spoil ang mga abu sayaf na yan. thanks to fidel ramos and to gloria!
these are the times that you would really want querubin, lim et al to be in the thick of things, because i am sure they would know how to handle this type of situation.
yun nga lang, andun, mga nakakakulong, at yung mga duwag ang nasa labas!
baliktad na talaga ang mundo. 🙁
nakakaiyak!
Where is everybody? Parang tamad ng mga people to write these days, akala ko tuloy holy week na.
pinupulitika ata eh.. kaya hindi mkagawa ng mgandang strategies… kaya siguro nag-leave yung ground commander… alis na lang sya kesa tawaging incompetent.. madamay sa kapalpakan ng kanyang mayordoma… teka, asan na ba yong heneral na un? nakabalik na ba?
.
langhab,
What did you say? Hehehe!
Just wondering, how come those militants identified with the left are so quiet about this case. Isn’t it that they are the most vocal when one of their own are kidnapped or killed, that they would demonstrate, rally, etc…? I wonder where they stand on this issue, are they for the Abu Sayyaf coz they have the same enemies (the Gov’t)?
If the PNP And AFP combined can not sweep away the Terrorist ABUs operating within the country, then the bagging that they will eliminate the NPAs by 20l0 is just a Pipe Dream…can not even rescue the innocent International workers from the ABUs and allowing them to use the hostages for Propaganda on Top of the Ransom money that they maybe getting from their dastardly deeds…and Just about everyone getting involved.
Cocoy, langhab is mute.
vic,
asa ka pa! ano ba achievement nitong gobyernong to? meron ba? this government is very good in bluffing!
langhab is just promoting his blog site i think 😀
Bitchevil,perl,
Wala akong malanghap doon sa blog site ni langhab,kundi ito.
This user has elected to delete their account and the content is no longer available .
April fools!
May pagka-sutil itong si langhab.Hehehe!
BE,
Chavit Singson was appointed as Deputy National Security Adviser for the sole purpose of legalizing his armed goons around him. What does he know about security? Nothing! He is likewise one of GMA’s hitmen, pag may kalaban si Evil Bitch, titirahin ni Chavit!
Stupefying! The Mindanao Examiner reports Italy has made contact with Sayyaff Italian hostage in Sulu.
How on earth did Italy make contact with the Italian hostage? What about RP government? Shouldn’t government people be in charge of dealing with the hostage situation? How did Italy obtain direct contact with their national?
Don’t tell me, I have a suspicion, RP government got sidelined and somebody or some people from government, unknown to government proper, are richer today by a few hundrd thousand pesos if not a couple of millions!
I do realise that the situation as it stands today seems very complicated, but actually it’s not if you think about it.
How to simplify what appears to be complicated:
Government simply must back off now. Let the Europeans negotiate directly after all, whether we like it or not, that’s how it’s going to end. We, the Europeans, will end up paying as sure as the sun rises. RP government’s role as ever, will be minimal, they are merely service providers. They, the government and their cotterie of henchmen and carpetbaggers, need not worry. Their emissaries will be paid both ways, one by the Italians and the other by the Abu Sayyaffs.
In fine, Gordon must back off (he may tearjerk all he wants but just won’t work); all the other Filipino dodos there must also back off. Even Nelson Allaga can go back to his favourite cocktail lounge and drink himself to sleep all he wants (his personal services are not exactly required — his junior officers can accompany the convoy, that’s all they are good for anyway).
All that’s required of this government from now on is to act as and to limit their role to that of plain and simple contractual service providers or minor hostage consultants. And while we are at it, Europeans must specify that the terms of the service provider contract with RP government is limited to just simple, very basic logistics.
Ultimately, for this hostage crisis to come to an end, governments men, eg., local, regional and national along with their and their so-called governement to Abu Sayyaff conduits, must be taken out of the negotiation equation proper entirely — they are useless, they are clueless, they are morons!
I hope this latest report doesn’t make you upset but only sad this Holy Week: Lacaba was released in exchange for P5.5M payment for board and lodging.