Singaporean controlled Sulu talks - Gordon

MANILA, Philippines - The man who had been claiming to be Albader Parad, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf faction that kidnapped three Red Cross volunteers, turned out to be a Singaporean terrorist, a television report said Thursday. In a report over GMA News’ “Saksi," Jun Veneracion quoted Sen. Richard Gordon as saying that the man who negotiated with them and introduced himself as Parad spoke fluent English. The report said Gordon, who is also chairperson of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), informed Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno about his doubt. Puno reportedly told him that the man was identified as one Muawiyah, an Indian-Singaporean who is also affiliated with the terrorist group Jema'ah Islamiyah. He said the man has been hiding in the Philippines for years. Parad’s group last January 15 abducted Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni, and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, all members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in Sulu province. Lacaba was freed Thursday night after 77 days in captivity. Gordon said Notter had informed him during one of their phone conversations that Mawiya was the one in charge of the group. “Sabi ni Andreas na Mr. Chairman… the gentleman you talked with [told me] to remind you that he is the one in control, he is the one in charge," said Gordon. [Andreas told me the man you talked with told me to remind you that he is the one in control, he is the one in charge.] Puno has earlier said that it might be impossible for Parad to head the negotiations because he was wounded in a recent encounter with government troops. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV