Basilan Island – At least 31 prisoners are reported to have escaped
from a jail on Basilan Island, among them, accused terror suspects
undergoing court trials. Reports on Manila radio stations say one
person is dead and at least one wounded in what reports describe as a
‘raid’ to free prisoners.
Reports say at least 100 armed gunmen believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf group, took part in the raid to free commardes held in the jail on terrorism related charges.
The report comes amidst hiegtened tension in the area over a serries
of high profile kidnappings blamed by government forces on the local
Al Qaeda faction the Abu Sayyaf group and bandit groups who have so
far kidnapped more than three dozen people in the last four months.
This coms as the Philippine Secretary of National Defense is in
Basilan this morning on discussions with the island province officials
consult them on a Catholic Bishop Martin Jumoad, who had requested
that martial law be decalred to quell violence on the island.
It is unclear who is behind the jail break at this time or the extent
of the operation to pursue those who were able to escape. The
escalation of violence has forced the Philippine military to pull out
a Marine battalion from nearby Jolo Province to be redeployed to
Basilan Island.
A move that has stretched the Philippine military in the southern
Philippines as it deals with a ongoing state of emergency on a
mainland Mindanao province and a warlord whose forces were used by
government to keep rebels in check in the province of Maguindanao.
"Government forces will continue with operations versus the amred
followers of Ampatuan clan on Maguindanao, " a government news release reads. " adding that there are no plans to declare martial law on
Basilan Island since the situation there ‘manageable’, earlier a
Catholic Bishop had appealed for a declaration of martial law on the
island in a statement released by a catholic news agency.
NO MARTIAL LAW PLANS FOR HOT SPOTS:
Department of Interior and Local Government or DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno said in a radio interview over government run Radyo ng Bayan DZRB says, "That President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifting of martial law douses fears being fomented by administration critics that allege government officials are "conspiring" to place the entire country
under martial law, saying "that baseless rumor should now to be put to
rest." in a statement released by the Office of the Press Secretary of
the Arroyo Administration.
The release also goes on to say that, "there is no need to place the
provinces of Basilan and Agusan del Sur under martial law." An
official of Basilan State University was abducted while 36 hostages in
Agusan del Sur were taken hostage by the Jose Ondol Perez group.
“The kidnapping and hostage taking are individual criminal acts not
related to the rebellion and which do not constitute rebellion,”
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said today.
“These are separate events from the rebellion in Maguindanao.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police
are now working towards recovering the abducted, Ermita said, adding
that Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales is going tomorrow morning,
Sunday, to Basilan to resolve the abduction.
“Let’s wait for my assessment of actual situation and I will also talk
to the Bishop of Basilan,” Gonzales said in the media release which
also said quoted Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, "if people are going to use the argument that what happened in
Basilan and Agusan del Sur are part of the conspiracy theory to put
the entire country under martial law, " Adding there are no plans and
the criminal acts can be managed by government.
Gonzales is in talks Sunday Morning at the Basilan provincail capitol, reports say the deabte is heated and the tone is seeking at least a state of emergency declaration. "Locals are having a lively discussion with the SND… almost angry… but they want more than just more troops they want the kidnappers stopped." a local texted mikeinmanila about the ongoing closed door discusson. "They want this terror wave of crime stopped… now."
However junior officers on the ground have expressed concern over the
upsurge of violence in Basilan and worry that a imbalance of security
on Jolo Island may result if more forces are redeployed from Sulu
province. "The situation is dangerous, lets just hope nothing happens
on Jolo this weekend as forces are stretched – we can manage but – any more crisis issues could mean more forces will be needed from other parts of the country in Mindanao to cover increased operations." the officer said on condition of annonimity.