May 21, 2001 Abu Sayyaf kidnappings
Encyclopedia
The Dos Palmas kidnappings was a hostage
crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from an upscale island
resort on Palawan
by Abu Sayyaf
members on May 27, 2001, and resulted in the deaths of at least 5 of the original hostages, including the two American citizens Guillermo Sobero and Martin Burnham. At least 22 Filipino soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages in the 12 months following the initial hostage taking. A unknown number of captors were killed by government forces.
, therefore a total of those taken prisoner at some point may be impossible to determine, however news reports suggest at least 100 hostages were taken and around 20 murdered in just over a year up until the final assault and freeing of Gracia Burnham on June 7, 2002. Even some local and foreign journalists covering the high-profile kidnappings were themselves held captive for some time.
to the north of Puerto Princesa City
on the island of Palawan
. They proceeded to abduct without incident 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans; identified as Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries from the state of Kansas
, and Guillermo Sobero. Most of those seized were ethnic Chinese
Filipino tourists.
The hostages and hostage-takers returned hundreds of kilometres back across the Sulu Sea
to the Abu Sayyaf
's territories in Mindanao.
, Basilan
, and would later state they had taken 200 people captive. Authorities would only confirm about 20 people were seized, including patients and doctors from the hospital.
Reportedly the remaining hostages from the initial group taken in Palawan
, including all three US nationals, were held in Lamitan.
Witnesses in Lamitan described helicopters and infantry units pouring rockets and machine gun fire into the hospital and church compound as troops came under fire from rooftop snipers, killing up to 12 soldiers, including an army captain. Reports indicated twenty-two soldiers had been killed since the initial hostages were seized.
Five more Filipino captives escaped during the fighting in Lamitan, however Abu Sayyaf had killed two hostages in the days before, beheading one. A large contingent of rebels reportedly broke through the military cordon during the night of the 4th while several members of their group stayed behind to hold their positions.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed to fight the rebels and warned the Abu Sayyaf group to give themselves up or be killed, stating in a television broadcast, "We will finish off all the bandits if they don't surrender at the earliest possible time... to the Abu Sayyaf: You have nowhere else to run."
, Abu Sayyaf
captors conducted numerous raids, "including one at a coconut plantation called Golden Harvest; they took about 15 people captive there and later used bolo knives
to hack the heads off two men. The number of hostages waxed and waned as some were ransomed and released, new ones were taken and others were killed." Four children, including two 12 year-olds, were among the hostages taken from the coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan, a military spokesman said. The owners and a security guard were also taken, and two buildings, including a chapel, were burnt down during the raid a week after that in Lamitan.
By the 13th of June the number held captive was calculated at around 28, as three more people were found beheaded on Basilan. One of the bodies was that of a Muslim cleric who had privately tried to negotiate with the kidnappers. Abu Sabaya, the Abu Sayyaf
spokesman, stated he had beheaded Guillermo Sobero on the Philippine day of independence
, June 12, as the security forces would not halt a rescue operation. Sobero's death was later confirmed in October, 2001, after his body was found in a shallow grave in Basilan
.
On the 2nd of August, 2001, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants captured 32 to 35 villagers in a raid on Balobo town in Lamitan
, Basilan
. However, on the 5th, the Philippine Army
rescued 13 of the Filipino hostages, including several children, after a gun battle with the Abu Sayyaf captors. An army spokesman stated the hostages were freed before dawn, when the soldiers stormed the militants' hideout outside the town of Isabela
and that the guerrillas had beheaded around 11 hostages, while several others were either released or had escaped.
The kidnappers demanded $1,000,000 for the American's release. A ransom of $330,000 was paid, yet the kidnappers refused to release them. On the 7th of June, 2002, after over a year in captivity American Martin Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap died in an operation to free them, while Burnham's wife Gracia was wounded. Martin was killed by three gunshots in the chest and Gracia was wounded in her right leg.
Upon hearing of Mr Burnham's death, then US President George W. Bush
expressed his grief, stating, "First let me say how sad we are that Martin Burnham lost his life... I'm pleased that Mrs Burnham is alive. That's good." Most other hostages were reportedly released for ransom.
President Arroyo defended the operation, stating "our soldiers tried their best to hold their fire for their (the hostages') safety. I salute our troops for their forbearance. The terror shall not be allowed to get away with this. We shall not stop until the Abu Sayyaf is finished. The battle shall go on, wherever it takes."
In July 2004, Gracia Burnham testified
at a trial of eight Abu Sayyaf members and identified six of the suspects as being her erstwhile captors, including Alhamzer Limbong, Abdul Azan Diamla, Abu Khari Moctar, Bas Ishmael, Alzen Jandul and Dazid Baize.
"The eight suspects sat silently during her three-hour testimony, separated from her by a wooden grill. They face the death sentence if found guilty of kidnapping for ransom. The trial began this year and is not expected to end for several months."
Fourteen Abu Sayyaf
bandits were sentenced to life imprisonment
on December 6, 2007 as result of the attacks; four were acquitted
.http://www.gmanews.tv/story/71636/14-Abus-sentenced-to-life-for-Dos-Palmas-incident Alhamzer Limbong was later killed in a prison uprising
.
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from an upscale island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
resort on Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
by Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
members on May 27, 2001, and resulted in the deaths of at least 5 of the original hostages, including the two American citizens Guillermo Sobero and Martin Burnham. At least 22 Filipino soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages in the 12 months following the initial hostage taking. A unknown number of captors were killed by government forces.
The crisis
During the crisis the number of those taken captive varied greatly as more hostages were seized in numerous raids on the island of BasilanBasilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, therefore a total of those taken prisoner at some point may be impossible to determine, however news reports suggest at least 100 hostages were taken and around 20 murdered in just over a year up until the final assault and freeing of Gracia Burnham on June 7, 2002. Even some local and foreign journalists covering the high-profile kidnappings were themselves held captive for some time.
Abduction
Gunmen arrived two boats early on May 27 at a resort in Honda BayHonda Bay, Philippines
Honda Bay is a bay on the eastern shore of the island of Palawan near Puerto Princesa City in the southwestern Philippines.The bay is used for both subsistence and commercial fisheries and recreation. Boats can be rented for the day and used for travel to nearby islands, many less than 45 minutes...
to the north of Puerto Princesa City
Puerto Princesa City
The City of Puerto Princesa is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines...
on the island of Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
. They proceeded to abduct without incident 20 people from the resort, including four resort staff and three Americans; identified as Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries from the state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and Guillermo Sobero. Most of those seized were ethnic Chinese
Ethnic Chinese
Ethnic Chinese may refer to:*Han Chinese, the dominant ethnic group in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, the Republic of China and Singapore....
Filipino tourists.
The hostages and hostage-takers returned hundreds of kilometres back across the Sulu Sea
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea is a body of water in the southwestern area of the Philippines, separated from the South China Sea in the northwest by Palawan and from the Celebes Sea in the southeast by the Sulu Archipelago. Borneo is found to the southwest and Visayas to the northeast.Sulu Sea contains a number of...
to the Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
's territories in Mindanao.
Lamitan siege
Four Filipino nationals of the initial twenty hostages taken from the Dos Palmas resort were able to escape in the days up to June 1, 2001. However, sometime on the June 2, a large group of up to 40 gunmen were able to take control of the Dr. Jose Torres Memorial Hospital and St. Peter's Church compound in the town of LamitanLamitan
Lamitan is a 5th Class city in the province of Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 82,074....
, Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, and would later state they had taken 200 people captive. Authorities would only confirm about 20 people were seized, including patients and doctors from the hospital.
Reportedly the remaining hostages from the initial group taken in Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
, including all three US nationals, were held in Lamitan.
Witnesses in Lamitan described helicopters and infantry units pouring rockets and machine gun fire into the hospital and church compound as troops came under fire from rooftop snipers, killing up to 12 soldiers, including an army captain. Reports indicated twenty-two soldiers had been killed since the initial hostages were seized.
Five more Filipino captives escaped during the fighting in Lamitan, however Abu Sayyaf had killed two hostages in the days before, beheading one. A large contingent of rebels reportedly broke through the military cordon during the night of the 4th while several members of their group stayed behind to hold their positions.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed to fight the rebels and warned the Abu Sayyaf group to give themselves up or be killed, stating in a television broadcast, "We will finish off all the bandits if they don't surrender at the earliest possible time... to the Abu Sayyaf: You have nowhere else to run."
Further raids
According to author Mark BowdenMark Bowden
Not to be confused with Mark Bowden, U.N. Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Somalia.Mark Robert Bowden is an American writer and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he is a 1973 graduate of Loyola University Maryland...
, Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
captors conducted numerous raids, "including one at a coconut plantation called Golden Harvest; they took about 15 people captive there and later used bolo knives
Bolo knife
A bolo is a large cutting tool of Filipino origin similar to the machete, used particularly in the jungles of Indonesia, the Philippines, and in the sugar fields of Cuba...
to hack the heads off two men. The number of hostages waxed and waned as some were ransomed and released, new ones were taken and others were killed." Four children, including two 12 year-olds, were among the hostages taken from the coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan, a military spokesman said. The owners and a security guard were also taken, and two buildings, including a chapel, were burnt down during the raid a week after that in Lamitan.
By the 13th of June the number held captive was calculated at around 28, as three more people were found beheaded on Basilan. One of the bodies was that of a Muslim cleric who had privately tried to negotiate with the kidnappers. Abu Sabaya, the Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
spokesman, stated he had beheaded Guillermo Sobero on the Philippine day of independence
Independence Day (Philippines)
In the Philippines, Independence Day is an annual national holiday observed on June 12, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. It is the National Day of the Philippines....
, June 12, as the security forces would not halt a rescue operation. Sobero's death was later confirmed in October, 2001, after his body was found in a shallow grave in Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
.
On the 2nd of August, 2001, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants captured 32 to 35 villagers in a raid on Balobo town in Lamitan
Lamitan
Lamitan is a 5th Class city in the province of Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 82,074....
, Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
. However, on the 5th, the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
rescued 13 of the Filipino hostages, including several children, after a gun battle with the Abu Sayyaf captors. An army spokesman stated the hostages were freed before dawn, when the soldiers stormed the militants' hideout outside the town of Isabela
Isabela City
Isabela City is a 5th class city and the capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. The city is located on the northern shore of Basilan. Across the Basilan Strait to the north is Zamboanga City...
and that the guerrillas had beheaded around 11 hostages, while several others were either released or had escaped.
Conclusion of hostage taking
As of October, 2001, the Burnhams were among a group of 14 still being held by the guerrillas, according to three Filipino hostages who escaped from the group in mid-October. Bertram Benasing, who escaped with his 14-year-old brother Zardi and Michael Abellion, said they had walked overnight after being sent to fetch water and bananas on the island of Basilan. A video taken that November apparently showed the Burnhams in poor health, with Martin stating "each night I am chained to a tree by my left wrist."The kidnappers demanded $1,000,000 for the American's release. A ransom of $330,000 was paid, yet the kidnappers refused to release them. On the 7th of June, 2002, after over a year in captivity American Martin Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap died in an operation to free them, while Burnham's wife Gracia was wounded. Martin was killed by three gunshots in the chest and Gracia was wounded in her right leg.
Upon hearing of Mr Burnham's death, then US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
expressed his grief, stating, "First let me say how sad we are that Martin Burnham lost his life... I'm pleased that Mrs Burnham is alive. That's good." Most other hostages were reportedly released for ransom.
President Arroyo defended the operation, stating "our soldiers tried their best to hold their fire for their (the hostages') safety. I salute our troops for their forbearance. The terror shall not be allowed to get away with this. We shall not stop until the Abu Sayyaf is finished. The battle shall go on, wherever it takes."
Subsequent events
The search for the hostages eventually led to a six-month deployment of 1,000 American troops who provided training and high-tech support to the Filipino troops.In July 2004, Gracia Burnham testified
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
at a trial of eight Abu Sayyaf members and identified six of the suspects as being her erstwhile captors, including Alhamzer Limbong, Abdul Azan Diamla, Abu Khari Moctar, Bas Ishmael, Alzen Jandul and Dazid Baize.
"The eight suspects sat silently during her three-hour testimony, separated from her by a wooden grill. They face the death sentence if found guilty of kidnapping for ransom. The trial began this year and is not expected to end for several months."
Fourteen Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several military Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern Philippines, in Bangsamoro where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an independent province in the country...
bandits were sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
on December 6, 2007 as result of the attacks; four were acquitted
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
.http://www.gmanews.tv/story/71636/14-Abus-sentenced-to-life-for-Dos-Palmas-incident Alhamzer Limbong was later killed in a prison uprising
Prison riot
A prison riot is an act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against the prison administrators, prison officers, or other groups of prisoners in attempt to force change or express a grievance....
.