|
Grizzly Abu Sayyaf Tape Creates Storms In Philippines
|
| Arroyo denied
giving instruction to release to the media the footage showing the
brutality of the Abu Sayyaf.
|
By
Kazi Mahmood, IOL Southeast Asia correspondent
JAKARTA,
Feb. 20 (IslamOnline) - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday said the
Abu Sayyaf terrorists have held the entire nation, its economy and the tourism
industry hostage by their savagery.
She
was commenting after the release of a grizzly video footage that has created
another storm in the Philippines.
Arroyo
said some of the innocent hostages were brutalized and killed by the Abu Sayyaf,
recalling the torture of Fr. Roel Gallardo, the martyred priest from Zambales,
and the killing of four teachers from Basilan.
The
video footage, the release of which was condemned by former president Joseph
Estrada, vividly shows how Abu Sayyaf members beheaded soldiers they held
captive following an encounter in Mindanao.
In
a radio interview, the President said the Philippine people have the right to
know the truth about how cruel, barbaric and evil the terrorist Abu Sayyaf
kidnap-for-ransom group is.
She,
however, denied giving instruction to anyone to release to the media the footage
showing what she calls the brutality of the Abu Sayyaf.
The
graphic savagery on the tape and also the government’s explanation for
releasing it has done little to dampen the anger of people in the country.
Copies
of the video were distributed by the Armed Forces to television networks last
Monday. Major networks aired the footage in their news programs on Monday and
Tuesday.
It
showed two soldiers which the military said belonged to Bravo company of the
Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion (IB) being hacked repeatedly by Abu Sayyaf with
what looked like machetes.
The
Armed Forces said the troopers were captured by the extremist group in a series
of encounters in Capayawan, Isabela, Basilan, from Jan. 8 to 13 in 1995.
The
videotape also showed two other wounded soldiers being beheaded by the bandits.
In
justifying the showing of the video, Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan said there is a
need to show the public the barbaric acts of the Abu Sayyaf.
“The
government has decided to make these tapes public in order to harness our
people, for us to be united in providing support to our government and to these
efforts to neutralize these terrorists,” he said.
The
tape, which runs for almost two hours, was recovered by elements of the Army’s
103rd Brigade after an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan last year, Adan
said.
“Because
of the atrocities and inhumane acts of the Abu Sayyaf shown on this tape, its
showing was withheld until today when the public clamor to show it has
increased,” he said.
He
said the possibility of showing the footage in schools is still being studied,
although he warned that the footages may not be suitable for students and young
minds.
Meanwhile,
deposed President Joseph Estrada criticized Malacañang for allowing the
release of the video footage showing Abu Sayyaf bandits beheading
prisoner-soldiers.
Estrada
said the video footage was one reason for him to order an all-out war against
the Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao during his term as president.
However, he said he only showed the footage to officials of the Department of
National Defense and the Catholic Church to justify his order and did not allow
its showing to the public on national television.
The ex-President explained that by publicizing the footage, the bandits'
execution of the soldiers may spread the wrong perception on Philippine Muslims.
The
Abu Sayyaf says it is fighting for an Islamic state in the islands of Basilan
and Jolo. It has been linked to the al-Qaida network of Osama Bin Laden by the
U.S.
|
