Posted on 04/17/2003 2:53:35 PM PDT by knighthawk
PHILIPPINE soldiers have recovered headless remains believed to be those of an Indonesian sailor and a Filipino trader who were taken hostage and reportedly killed by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas on southern Jolo island, officials said today.
The remains were found buried in a shallow grave in the jungle village of Panglayahan in Patikul town, 940 kilometres south of Manila.
Another Indonesian hostage who managed to escape from his captors last week helped the military find the remains.
Indonesian Pieter Lerrich told reporters after his escape that he understood that his colleague Munto Jacobus Winowatan had been killed by the guerrillas.
He said the two became separated during a February 2 clash between the guerrillas and soldiers, and that he learned of Winowatan's death through another Indonesian hostage who escaped.
Winowatan was reported to be suffering from diabetes and some reports said he died because of an illness.
Brigadier General Romeo Tolentino, deputy commander of the military's Southern Command, said the other set of remains probably belongs to Filipino trader David Chua, who was also taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaeda-linked group notorious for kidnappings and beheadings.
Another body in camouflage uniform believed to belong to an Abu Sayyaf member was also dug up in the area, he said. The bodies were sent to the Southern Command base in Zamboanga city for forensic examination.
Another Southern Command official said it was not yet established if the remains were those of the hostages.
The rebels are still holding four women members of the Christian group Jehovah's Witnesses as well as Roland Ulah, the remaining hostage from a raid on a Malaysian resort in April 2000.
The Abu Sayyaf is on the US list of terrorist organisations.
A six-month US-Philippine counterterrorism exercise on neighbouring Basilan island last year has been credited with breaking up the extremist group and killing and capturing some leaders and members.
Remnants of the group, including chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, have fled farther south to Jolo.
Another US-Philippines exercise is planned for later this year, this time on Jolo.
Too bad Roland wasn't a French or German. Then, he would have been released on ransom like the rest of the bunch he was kidnapped with. Of course, those ransoms made the AS much stronger and is probably why the RP govt couldn't rescue him in 3 freaking years while being held in an area the size of a postage stamp.
I know, I know, but I am not going to Jolo or Basilan. I am going to Cebu or Leyte.
Everyone seems to have this stereotype that there is a muslim behind every tree in Mindanao, Jolo and Basilan. There may be, in Jolo and Basilan, but there are many areas of Mindanao that do not have hardly any muslims, and there are some provinces that do. I do not intend to go to those provinces.
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