Philippines Aquino Demands Rebels Surrender Top Militant
Philippine President Benigno Aquino Friday demanded Muslim rebels surrender a top terror suspect who escaped a bloody police raid or be "run over" in a government manhunt.
In a televised address, Aquino sought to calm public outrage over the death of 44 police commandos in a chaotic bloodbath that targeted two most-wanted terrorists.
Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan and a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings, was believed killed in the raid. Abdul Basit Usman -- accused of taking part in at least nine bombings in the Philippines -- is thought to be hiding with rebel groups.
"If Usman is in your territory, I expect you to surrender him to authorities, help arrest him, or don't interfere in the manhunt," Aquino said, addressing the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"To those who have lost their way, who would still stand in our way, remember this: you are fighting the state, and we will run you over," he said.
The MILF signed a peace treaty with Manila last year aimed at ending a decades-old rebellion that has claimed more than 120,000 lives.
"May this serve as a warning and a reminder: we will get Usman, whatever you decide, regardless of who provides a safe haven for him, regardless of where he may be hiding," he said.
Aquino has been heavily criticized over the botched January 25 raid on the southern island of Mindanao which descended into chaos when police were ambushed by rebel forces, including members of the MILF.
Usman, charged in Philippine courts over bombings since 2003, is believed to have links to the Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the local Abu Sayyaf outfit. The U.S. government is offering a $1 million reward for his capture.
DNA analysis by the FBI indicated that Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli, a top JI militant and a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, was killed, Manila said. The U.S. had offered a $5 million bounty for him.
The bloodshed threatens not only the peace treaty, but Aquino's hold on power as it has left security forces demoralized said Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Manila-based Institute for Political and Electoral Reform.
"It's the biggest political crisis he has faced. The survival of his administration, his legacy, and the peace process are all at stake," Casiple told AFP.
"This can cost him his life. This is a very dangerous situation because he picked a fight with his bodyguards... It's a terrifying situation," he said.
The Philippines has a long history of military uprisings, including two that toppled presidents Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001.
Aquino was ambushed in a failed coup against his mother, democracy icon Corazon Aquino in 1987. A bullet from the attack remains lodged in his neck.
Aquino tried to calm the furore during his Friday speech, pledging support for the slain police officers' widows and orphans.
"I am the father of this country and 44 of my children were killed. They can no longer be brought back. This tragedy happened during my term, and I will carry this to the end of my days," he said.
The president was savagely criticized after he skipped arrival honors for the policemen's remains at Manila airport. He also arrived late to funeral services the following day.
"He has gone from one blunder to another... This is a slow-burning crisis that is very difficult to stop because the sacrifices involved are massive," Casiple said.
Aquino said he made his own informal investigation into the incident and found that the situation on the ground was "vastly different" than expected during planning.
He also announced Friday the resignation of national police chief Alan Purisima, who oversaw the police assault.
Zulkifli's death was the "most significant terrorist kill in recent years," international terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told AFP.
Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones agreed Zulkifli was a "big name", but said his death would not have a huge impact on the new generation of fighters.
"It's symbolic because he was one person who always seemed to evade capture," said Jones, the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict.
Source: Agence France Presse
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