By Ronron
January 17, 2007
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. confirmed on Wednesday that the slain Abu Sayyaf bandit the other day (Tuesday) in Sulu is actually terrorist leader Abu Solaiman who was involved in the bold terrorist attacks of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
In a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo, Esperon said the cadaver recovered from the encounter site at Mt. Dajo in Talipao town was positively identified as that of Solaiman’s by military intelligence operatives, his former close-in agents, and one of his wives.
“We are officially confirming the death of Jainal Antel Sali, alias Abu Solaiman, alias the Engineer, who is actually the Abu Sayyaf Group Logistics and Supply Officer and the over-all leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group-Urban Terrorist Group,” Esperon said.
He said it was the “space between the two front teeth” of the cadaver that convinced authorities it was Solaiman.
Earlier, the military only suspected that Solaiman was wounded in the one-hour encounter that started past 9 am Tuesday, followed by another one-and-a-half hours of sporadic firefight.
The clash happened at a suspected ASG encampment, which has 17 bunkers and bomb materials.
“The action agents confirmed (he was Solaiman), one of whom had been with him for five years… It has also been identified by one of the wives,” Esperon said of the recovered cadaver, which was peppered with bullet wounds in the
Asked if the same will also be subjected to DNA analysis, like what the military did to the suspected remains of ASG chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, for a scientific confirmation, Esperon replied: “probably.”
Esperon said the cadaver is now kept at the Joint Task Force Comet headquarters at the 104th Infantry Brigade headquarters in Busbus, Jolo town.
He disclosed that the US forces in Sulu helped in Tuesday’s operation as far as locating Solaiman’s group of 60 through their technical capabilities, particularly their “intelligence fusion” with that of the AFP.
Solaiman is wanted by the United States for planning and carrying out the abduction of their citizens from the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan in May 2001, and the bombing in Malagutay, Zamboanga City in October 2002 that claimed the life of US serviceman.
The US government offered $5 million in reward to anyone who can lead to Solaiman’s arrest.
Esperon said Solaiman is also included in the list of the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee dated 22 February 2006 for his association with the Al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden.
Locally, he has standing warrants of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from the Regional Trial Court in Isabela City, Basilan.
Esperon described Solaiman as the number one planner of the ASG, whose caliber is stronger as that of Janjalani, being an engineer by profession himself.
He said the bandit leader is from Basilan who was among the original members of the predecessor of ASG, the Al Harakatul Al Islamiyah, formed by Abdurajak Janjalani, the older brother of Khadaffy.
Aside from the Dos Palmas and Malagutay incidents, Solaiman was also implicated in the June 2001 hostage-taking of 200 civilians in Lamitan, Basilan, in the Superferry bombing in 2004, in the Chowking bombing in Zamboanga City in August 2005, and in the bombing of a videoke bar near the 104th Brigade headquarters in February 2006.
As acting spokesman, he also claimed in media interviews the ASG’s responsibility for the Awang Airport bombing in Maguindanao in February 2003, and the Valentine’s Day bombings in February 2005.
“We are confident that with the death of Solaiman, who is actually the number one planner of most of the activities of the Abu Sayyaf, (the ASG activities) will continue to go down,” Esperon said.
“It is at this time that we have resolved that this group must be finished off, their major commanders must be finished off so that we can put an end to these terrorists, notorious terrorist group,” he added.
But the military chief warned of possible retaliatory attacks from the group, which, he said, numbers no more than 350 as of last count.
“We expect that they would try to launch some retaliatory actions. However, we have instituted some actions so that the Abu Sayyaf Group will not be able to carry out retaliatory actions,” Esperon said./DMS
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