Offensive against militants

KOTA KINABALU: Hundreds of Philippine marines have been sent to Jolo island, raising anticipation of a military offensive against Abu Sayyaf gunmen holding four Malaysians and others captive there.

The personnel arrived three days ago, anti-kidnapping activist Prof Octavio Dinampo, who is based on the island in the southern Philip­pines, told The Star.

He said that there had been no official statement on the deployment, “but it surely cannot be because of an external threat”.

A major offensive against the terror group has been expected since it has about a dozen captives for ransom, including the Malaysians who were kidnapped from a tugboat off Pulau Ligitan on April 1.

Wong Teck Kang, 31, Wong Hung Sing, 34, Wong Teck Chii, 29, and Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, all from Sarawak, were believed to be in the mountainous hinterlands of Patikul on Jolo.

Among the other captives were six Filipinos as well as Canadian Robert Hall and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, taken from a resort on Samal Island, and a Dutch birdwatcher.

The Abu Sayyaf have beheaded their captives when ransom demands were not met.

In a related development, Octavio said the islanders in Jolo and nearby Tawi Tawi blamed the Abu Sayyaf for Malaysia stopping cross-border trading between Sabah and southern Philippines over the abductions.

He said that after barter trading stopped on April 6, the prices of commodities skyrocketed on the Philippine side.

The price of a 25kg bag of rice jumped from 620 pesos to 1,250 pesos (RM54 to RM109), he said, ci­ting an example.

“Everything, from petrol to fish, has gone up in price. The people feel that they are all being punished for the actions of a few criminals,” he said.

The barter trade was a tradition between Sabah and southern Philippines because daily essentials and other goods were more expensive when ferried from Manila.

Octavio said various groups were calling on president-elect Rodrigo Duterte to ask Malaysia to lift the ban.