US hails conviction of 14 terrorists

December 29, 2007  --  Got something to say?
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14 members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group
MANILA The United States Dec. 6 hailed the conviction by the Taguig Regional Trial Court of 14 members of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group for the high-profile abductions of an American missionary couple and 18 others in the 2001 kidnapping spree.

Robert Courtney, US Department of Justice attache, said, It sends a strong message about the mobility of the Philippine law enforcement to deal with terrorist activities through the criminal justice system. It shows that the rule of law applies in the Philippines in terrorism cases.”

The US DoJ is very impressed with the thoroughness and care with which the court this morning had analyzed the evidence and reached the verdict,” Courtney said.

Twenty life sentences each were imposed by Judge Loreser Pahilna of Branch 69 on the 14 terrorists for the kidnapping.
Most of top leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Muslim rebel group who orchestrated the yearlong kidnapping spree from an island resort have been killed in clashes since the trial opened in 2003.

Out of 85 suspects originally charged with kidnapping, 23 were captured and tried, and 18 appeared in court. Fourteen were sentenced to life in prison and four were acquitted.

Of the four, one, a woman, Sattra Tilao, a sister of the late Aldam Tilao or Abu Sabaya, the Abu Sayyaf spokesman who was killed during pursuit operations by the military, was released for health reasons.

Four others were killed in a botched prison break in 2005, and one has been cleared of charges.
Oh Im so happy, Tilao said in Filipino, as she threw her arms around her female security detail.

State 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.”

We are satisfied with the judgment, another State Prosecutor Peter Medalle told reporters after the verdict was read out.
The Abu Sayyaf raided the resort and seized a group of hostages who were then ferried by boat to the southern island of Basilan, triggering a 13-month manhunt aided by US military advisers.

The gunmen beheaded Peru-born American hostage Guillermo Sobero, while US missionary Martin Burnham and three other hostages were shot dead when Filipino troops mounted a rescue attempt in June 2002.

Burnhams wife, Gracia Burnham, was shot and wounded in the rescue attempt. She survived and later returned to the Philippines briefly to testify against some of the defendants.

Many of the other Filipino hostages were ransomed off by the kidnappers.
The Abu Sayyaf, set up with funds from the Al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, has been blamed for the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines, including a February 2004 ferry bombing on Manila that claimed more than 100 lives.
Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro, AFP public information officer, said the verdict was a reminder for the al Qaeda-linked extremists that they were 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,” Bacarro said.


Posted by News Team | Filed Under Articles/Stories 

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