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Monday, August 18, 2003
4 Sayyaf members killed in encounter
ZAMBOANGA -- Four Abu Sayyaf guerrillas were killed in a clash with navy troops escorting a commercial trawler off the coast of Zamboanga City, the military said Sunday.
The gunmen were in a motorboat and attacked the commercial trawler late Friday, triggering a high-seas clash that left four of them dead, an officer said.
"There is a heightened security in the seas to protect fishing boats from pirates and Abu Sayyaf rebels," military southern command spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fredesvindo Covarrubias said.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has reported a resurgence of sea piracy in Sarangani Bay.
Covarrubias said the military had received reports that the Abu Sayyaf was planning more attacks on vessels in the southern Philippines.
"We are getting information from the fishermen themselves and the military validates these reports and then we take actions to preempt these things from happening," he said.
The rebels last year seized four Indonesian seamen after boarding their vessel near the southern island of Basilan. They were taken to the nearby island of Jolo, where one of them escaped and the three were killed.
The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of Islamic militants tagged a terrorist group by Manila and Washington. The militants are wanted for the murders of two US hostages seized in 2001 as well as for a spate of bombings and attacks.
Sea pirates
In Sarangani, meanwhile, coastguard station chief George Ursabia said they received reports that sea pirates attacked the fishing boat Jose Marian, owned by the Templado Deep Sea Fishing.
Intelligence reports said seven fully armed men riding on a motorboat reportedly boarded the vessel and took away the two tons of fish catch from the Jose Marian, added Ursabia.
The incident reportedly happened off the coasts of Lumatil and Lumoyon in Maasim, Sarangani.
Last August 2, sea pirates also allegedly took away a ton of fish from a fishing boat of RD Fishing Company, also in Sarangani Bay.
"Naka-alarma kami ngayon dahil ilang insidente na ang nai-report sa amin na pamimirata kung saan kinukuha nila ang mga catch-fish at maging krudo ng mga fishing boats," Ursabia said. (We are alarmed over the several incidents of sea piracy where the fishing boat's catch and even fuel oil were taken away.)
None of the crewmembers of the said fishing boats were, however, hurt by the sea pirates, according to the PCG station chief.
"We have already instigated measures to deter this sea piracy," he stressed.
Ursabia did not give details about their security plans in the area. AFP/Sun.Star General Santos
(August 18, 2003 issue)
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