The Philippine military said Monday it believed that the capture of Ghalib Andang alias Commander Robot, a core leader of the kidnap-for-ransom Abu Sayyaf Group, would further weaken the terror forces in the southern Philippines.  

The strength of Abu Sayyaf has been significantly decreased over the past months, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lieut. Col. Daniel Lucero quoted military chief Gen. Narciso Abaya as saying.

Andang was arrested during a brief encounter with government troops on Sunday night in the town of Indanan, Sulu province in the south. The bandit leader, who was wounded in both legs in the gun battle, was flown to Manila Monday.

Abaya said on the way back to Manila from the south that Andang admitted that he and his followers were planning another kidnapping when he was captured by the military.

Abaya said earlier on Monday that the troops were still in hot pursuit of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadafi Janjalani and at least three other commanders of the group.

The AFP did not give more information about Andang as he has not been extensively interrogated because of his gunshot wounds. The military, however, added that the bandit leader was severely injured and his two legs might be amputated.

Andang, along with Janjalani, were suspected leaders of the Abu Sayyaf group that swooped down on the Malaysian posh resort in Sipadan Island on April 20, 2000 where 21 people, including 17 western tourists, were snatched and taken to southern Philippines where they were held hostages for several months awaiting ransom payments.

Andang was also involved in a string of kidnap-for-ransom incidents in Sulu since 1993.

A six-month Philippine-US joint military exercise was held early last year in Basilan Island not far from Sulu, another hotbed for the Abu Sayyaf, where the AFP units succeeded in annihilating Abu Sabaya, leader and spokesman of the group, and rescued an American woman hostage.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2003)