THE Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is a militant group based in Basilan and Sulu which originally claimed to be fighting for an independent Islamic province in the Philippines.
Over the years since its inception in 1991 by Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, it has become notorious for criminal activities such as kidnappings and extortion and has been listed by the United Nations, United States, United Kingdom and other countries as a terrorist group.
It is now headed by Isnilon Hapilon who is based in Sulu and who in September 2014 has sworn allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Accordingly, the group does kidnap-for-ransom activities “in the name of ISIL.”
The group gained its notoriety when on May 3, 2000 it took 21 hostages from Sipadan, a dive resort island in Malaysia, and took them to an ASG base in Sulu. This was followed by several notable kidnappings, including the Dos Palmas Resort kidnapping of 20 hostages in Honda Bay, Palawan in 2001 resulting in the deaths of at least five hostages and of 22 Filipino soldiers who went after the captors.
Here is a quick look at the modus operandi of the ASG, as described by the Joint Intelligence Task Unit of the Joint Task Group Sulu:
1. ASG and/or their cohorts employ “spotters” of would-be kidnap victims in target areas;
2. ASG and/or their cohorts employ “snatchers” of target personality/ies;
3. Snatchers turn over their hostages to five or more groups until eventually they are passed on to ASG sub-groups who hide them in their campsites either in Sulu or Basilan;
4. ASG employs negotiator/s (particularly political and other prominent figures who are their cohorts/allies or are discreetly supporting or are involved in the activity);
5. ASG and allies utilize media personalities and politicians for negotiation.
In the encampment sites, the KVs are used as human shields to impede any government assault.
To hide the identity of the KVs, they are made to wear hijab (veil) or mastura (clothing which show only the eyes), while the ASG members guarding the KVs wear bonnets or sniper’s veil also to avoid being identified.
Whenever ASG captors are noticed to be developing closeness with KVs, they are immediately replaced.
The change of harboring areas is done very often. A hostage would be kept at an ASG campsite only for at least 3 to 4 days. BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON-CODILLA
