Asian, PHL terrorists use marriage to forge closer ties — expert

Is it the natural beauty of Filipino women that make them attractive even to the eyes of notorious terrorists? Not really. According to a counter-terrorism expert, members of various terrorist groups operating in the Philippines are known to use marriage to forge closer ties with each other. “Hindi lang sila brothers in arms, kailangan din nila maging brothers in law," said Prof. Rommel Banlaoi in an exclusive interview aired over GMA News’ “24 Oras" Thursday night. “Naso-solidify ang kanilang relationship hindi lamang through ideology but also through interpersonal relationship," he added. For example, he said the wives of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani; Ahmad Santos, leader of the Rajah Sulaiman Movement; and Abu Sulaiman of the Abu Sulaiman Group, are sisters.

“Ibig sabihin determined sila," said Banlaoi. “They really want to be close in order to pursue their struggles for whatever cause they are advancing." Foreign terrorists, particularly members of the Jemaah Islamiyah who are staying in southern Philippines, are also known to marry Filipino women. According to Banlaoi, Zulkifli bin Hir or Marwan, the suspect in the 2002 Bali bombing in Indonesia, married the widow of Janjalani. Another JI member, Mauwiyah, married someone in Maguindanao. One of Southeast Asia’s most wanted terrorist, JI’s Dulmatin, also married a Filipina and even had a child with her. Philippine security forces placed Dulmatin’s wife and child in custody following a raid in Tawi-Tawi in October 2007, while Dulmatin was killed in Indonesia last year, the television report said. — KBK, GMA News