For giving P50,000 to Abu Sayyaf bandits

MANILA - Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said on Tuesday he will ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate Sulu Vice Governor Lady Anne Sahidula, who admitted giving P50,000 "goodwill money" to Abu Sayyaf bandits for the release of Red Cross worker Eugenio Vagni.

"She gave P50,000. Is it really P50,000 only? It has to be investigated. Who knows what kind of exchange really happened? I will bring this to the DOJ because it is the investigating body," Teodoro said in a radio dzMM interview.

He added: "As a public official, Vice Governor Sahidulla should answer these questions."

Teodoro, meanwhile, asked legislators and the media to stop nagging the military about reports that charges against the two arrested wives of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Albader Parad were dropped in exchange for Vagni's release.

"We should just let the armed forces and the police focus on the operations. They were given strict instructions to arrest and apprehend Abu Sayyaf members and the disarmament of their followers," the defense chief said.

Teodoro on Monday ordered the military in Sulu, particularly Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban's Joint Task Force Comet, to once and for all end the Abu Sayyaf's atrocities.

He said he will personally follow up the military's operations against the Abu Sayyaf on a daily basis, but clarified that troops were not given a deadline to finish off the bandits.

Parad a 'cry baby'?

Sabban, meanwhile, denied that Parad's wives -- Rowena Aksan and Nursima Annudden – were released in exchange for Vagni’s liberty.

“The charges were dropped for insufficiency of evidence,” he said.

Aksan and Annudden were arrested with four other suspects in Barangay Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu a few hours after the deadly bombing in downtown Jolo.

Sabban said Parad's two wives yielded at least P307,000 cash in "crisp bills" and cellular phones, which was supposedly used to trigger the bomb that exploded in Jolo.

The Marines chief said the real reason for Vagni's release was the intensified offensives by the Marines against Parad's group.

He said the military had four major encounters with the bandits three weeks before the Italian Red Cross worker's release.

"These major encounters are the reason why Parad called us to negotiate," Sabban said.

He said Parad was profusely crying while talking to them over the phone. He said the Abu Sayyaf leader also asked to talk to one of his arrested wives.

"Tumawag si Parad, talagang napatigas na warrior pero paiyak-iyak din siya," Sabban said. He said the Abu leader agreed to release Vagni after the phone conversation.

"But before their (Parad and wife) phone conversation, we were talking about the benefits their families would get if they will stop these violence. That, in total, contributed to what happened (Vagni's release)," he clarified.