MANILA, Philippines – After 24 years, a Taguig court finally issued a judgment on the 2000 abduction of 19 foreigners and 2 Filipinos at a diving resort in Malaysia, convicting 17 members of the terror group Abu Sayyaf.
Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has a historical link to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda, and was responsible for some of the worst terrorist attacks in Mindanao, many of them abductions where captives are killed, even beheaded.
ASG members held 21 individuals at gunpoint in April 2000 at a resort in Sipadan Island in Malaysia. ASG terrorists then took these 21 by boat to Talipao, Sulu, and held them captive in Jolo in the same province. This means that that the illegal detention happened in Sulu, a Philippine jurisdiction.
The case was tried in Metro Manila, or the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) to be exact, which is done in sensitive and high-profile cases. A transfer of venue is done to avoid compromising the security of people involved, and the integrity of evidence, which are at risk if you try it in the local jurisdiction where suspects have influence.
The 157-page decision of Taguig RTC Branch 157 Presiding Judge Mariam Bien found 17 terrorists guilty for 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention. They are sentenced to reclusion perpetua for each count.
The convicted kidnappers were also ordered to pay their victims P300,000 as moral, civil and exemplary damages. Hostages were released in tranche as ransom money were paid to kidnappers.
“(B)ased on the evidence presented, there is no question that accused and their cohorts were complicit in the joint purpose and design of the kidnapping of the hostages for the purpose of extorting ransom money from them or from the their respective families and government,” said the court.
The convicted are the following:
- Hilarion del Rosario Santos III alias Ahmed Islam Santos/Ahmed Santos
- Redendo Cain Dellosa
- Alkaiser Baladji
- Omar Galo
- Muner Jumalla
- Najer Ibrahim
- Jahid Susukan
- Ben Mahar Abraham
- Said Massud
- Hajid Elhano
- Jundam Jawad
- Akjunib Hashim
- Michael Pajiji
- Alhadi Aylani
- Dhad Suraidi
- Julkipli Salih
- Saltimar Sali
Santos and Dellosa are leaders of the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), and were both tagged as terrorists in 2008 by the United Nations for their associations to Al Qaeda.
The Tagig court found Manggona Malili, Abdulkahil Malla, Abdul Mubeen Sakandal, Ahiri Tada and Radzmar Sangkula Jul not guilty, and ordered their release from detention.
Some ASG suspects like Galib Andang alias Commander Robot, Nadjmi Sabdulla alias Commander Global and several others who were killed in a jailbreak attempt in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City in 2005, were also dropped from the charges on the basis of death.
Some of the hostages were able to testify in court, for example Roland Ullah who was held captive for three years, and only regained freedom in 2003 when he pulled off an escape.
Ullah was able to identify their captors, and those who helped detain them in Jolo.
Two former ASG members, Omar Pael and Julhasre Abtahi , also testified and admitted to the court that they acted as lookout for the hostages.
“From the foregoing, it is evident that the kidnappers, the herein accused, acted in concert in kidnapping and detaining the hostages,” said the court.
Senior Deputy State Prosecutor (SDSP) Hazel C. Decena-Valdez handled the case.
“Your devotion, courage and relentless efforts to pursue justice by all means is truly astonishing. Thank you for being a testament that justice will never be denied regardless of who or how strong the enemy may seem. Your resilience has indeed withstood the forces of terror and oppression which serve as an inspiration to us all,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said, in praise of Decena-Valdez. – Rappler.com