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FOURTEEN
Abu Sayyaf members who were among those who kidnapped
20 people, including an American couple, in 2001 from
the Dos Palmas Resort in Palawan were sentenced on
Thursday to life imprisonment by the Regional Trial
Court in Taguig City.
Judge
Loreser Pahilna, who found them guilty, also ordered the
convicts to pay their victims, including Christian
missionary Gracia Burnham, who escaped following a
firefight between the rescuing soldiers and the
criminals in 2002. Burnham’s husband, Martin, also a
missionary, and three fellow Filipino Christian
missionaries were killed during the rescue. An American
tourist, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded by the
kidnappers.
The
other victims were later freed by the kidnappers after
they allegedly paid ransom.
Four
other alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf, including a
woman, Sattra Tilao, sister of Abu Sayyaf chieftain
Aldam Tilao, alias Commander Sabaya, were exonerated by
Pahilna.
Sabaya
was the spokesman of the terrorist group. He was killed
by troops some years back. Prosecutors had charged 85
suspects in the highly publicized kidnapping, but only
those caught by security forces were the ones tried in
the court of Pahilna.
In 2005
the terrorists attempted to escape from Camp Bagong Diwa,
but were unable to get out of the detention building
before guards and soldiers stormed the detention
facility and killed four of the suspects.
After
the verdict was read, Prosecutor Aries Reyes said, “This
is a warning to others out there who are planning to sow
terror that the government is relentless in its pursuit
to combat terrorism. We consider this a victory against
terrorism.”
The
Armed Forces hailed the decision of the Taguig court,
saying it only proved the Abu Sayyaf is not invincible.
“There might be members of the said group who, at this
point, think they are invincible. The verdict on the 14
will show that, at some point, if they do wrong, justice
will catch up with them,” said AFP information officer
Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro. |
