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Thursday, September 23, 2004
Malaysian ex-hostages to testify against Al Qaeda-linked RP rebels (5:25 p.m.)
MANILA -- Two Malaysians taken hostage by Filipino kidnappers four years ago returned to the Philippines on Thursday to testify against the alleged Abu Sayyaf Muslim guerrillas suspected of raiding their Sipadan resort, officials said.
Scuba diving instructor Fong Yin Ken and police officer Abdul Jawad Sulawat met with Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales ahead of their court appearance on Friday.
The two are prosecution witnesses in the regional trial court case against 27 alleged Abu Sayyaf members.
"We consider their testimonies vital to the prosecution of the case," Gonzales told reporters.
"We are grateful that they have come here to testify against the Abu Sayyaf. They came here because of the close cooperation we have with Malaysia in our common fight versus terrorism."
The guerrillas raided the Malaysian resort of Sipadan off Borneo island on April 23, 2000 and seized 21 Western tourists and Asian resort staff.
The hostages were taken by boat across the sea border to the gunmen's Jolo island stronghold in the Philippines.
The captives were ransomed off, reportedly for millions of dollars, over the following year in negotiations led by a special envoy of then Philippines president Joseph Estrada.
The top defendant in the trial is alleged Abu Sayyaf senior leader Galib Andang, alias Commander Robot, who allegedly led the Sipadan raid.
Andang was captured by the military in the southern Philippines last year.
Asian and Western intelligence agencies consider Abu Sayyaf to be the local proxy of Al-Qaeda, an Islamic militant network blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. (AFP) |
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