ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 20, 2012) – A Jordanian television producer and his two Filipino assistants who were reported missing in the southern Philippine island of Sulu have contacted local government officials to say that they are alright and filming a documentary about the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
Bakr Atyani, Al-Arabiya’s bureau chief in Pakistan, phoned Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and told him that they are still filming in the hinterlands of Patikul town. The trio escaped from their hostel in Sulu to secretly meet up with terror leaders in Patikul, despite warnings by authorities not to interview the Abu Sayyaf.
The terror group, which is harbouring Jemaah Islamiya militants on the island, has been largely blamed to the spate of bombings and kidnappings-for-ransom in the southern Philippines, where they are still holding several foreigners and Filipino hostages.
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo has confirmed that Atyani contacted Tan. He said he would ask the Bureau of Immigration to deport Atyani and ban him from returning to the Philippines once they are over with the clandestine interview with the Abu Sayyaf.
Atyani’s group arrived in Sulu on June 11 and interviewed Tan and other government officials as cover for their true intention. Tan has repeatedly warned Filipino and foreign journalists not to interview the terrorist groups or coordinate with authorities if they wanted to cover or film local events.
The Abu Sayyaf, which has ties with the al-Qaeda terror network, had kidnapped dozens of foreigners in the past and ransomed them off to private negotiators and used the money to purchase weapons and to finance terrorist attacks in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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