27th anniversary of Lantawan town

Top government and military officials are expected to attend the 27th anniversary of Lantawan town on Basilan island today.

Cabinet members, including Southern command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya are expected to grace the event, said army spokesman Col. Daniel Lucero.

Two Abu Sayyaf rebels, Abu Baidar and Putong Kampala, who were captured recently by the military in Basilan, will be presented to journalists.

Baidar was implicated by the military in the killing of U.S. hostage Guillermo Sobero in Basilan on June 12, 2001, several days after the Abu Sayyaf group abducted three other American nationals and 17 other tourists from Dos Palmas Hotel in Palawan in May, 2001.

American missionary Martin Burnham was killed during a botched military rescue operation in Zamboanga del Norte on June 7 this year. His wife, Gracia, survived although she sustained a gunshot wound in the leg when rescued by soldiers.

On Monday, hundreds of Muslims held rallies in Lantawan town, denouncing the Abu Sayyaf group which they blamed for the spate of terrorism and killing of innocent civilians in Jolo, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, their stronghold in the south.

Local government officials said they would see to it that today's celebration is not marred by protests.

On Monday, some 500 villagers carried placards and condemned the Abu Sayyaf for killing dozens of people in Basilan. Their placards said, "Unite and fight terrorism; we want peace, not war; death for the Abu Sayyaf."

Basilan Mayor Tahira Ismael, a staunch military supporter, led other officials in the anti-Abu Sayyaf march.

"We want to have peace here in our town. My people are already tired of violence. We don't want the Abu Sayyaf here," he noted.

Dozens of heavily-armed soldiers guarded the rally site.

A group of soldiers and civilians also held a brief dramatisation of Abu Sayyaf atrocities. One soldier disguised himself as Abu Sayyaf leader, Abu Sabaya, complete with the latter's signature dark sunglasses and bandana.

The military claimed that Sabaya was killed in a sea clash off Zamboanga del Norte province in June this year.