A lower court in Metro Manila on Thursday found 14 Abu Sayyaf terrorist members guilty of killing and kidnapping local and foreign tourists in Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan province south of Manila in 2001. The 14 accused were sentenced to 20 life imprisonments and was found responsible for the killing of two American tourists, one of them Guillermo Sobero was beheaded and American missionary Martin Burnham was gunned down in a rescue operation conducted by the military in Basilan province, one of the hotbed of long running insurgency in southern Philippines.
The convicted terrorists are remorseful and even caught in the camera smiling while three of their colleagues cried with happiness because they were found innocent and ordered released from prison. But the victims who stand witness against their abductors expressed surprise and disbelief and issued statement of dismay to the ruling of the court.
One of the acquitted, Satra Tilao, is the sister of Abu Sayyaf spokesman Aldam Tilao a.k.a Abu Sabaya, the ruthless leader who perpetuated many cases of beheadings against Christians in the south.
Unlike the rest of the victims who are from the Philippines, American Gracia Burnham was quoted satisfied and was elated on the conviction of the 14 Abu Sayyaf members. In this episode, though legally finished, the nightmare still hounds the victims because the evil of Abu Sayyaf continues to bring fear and destruction to the community.
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