May (Web-only) 2002

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U.S. reward for Burnhams' captors sparks response in Philippines
So far, most of the response to the U.S. government's $5 million reward for the capture of the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas holding missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham has been very positive. "At least 200 calls have been received by the [U.S.] embassy from civilians volunteering information on the whereabouts of the bandits" in the two days since the reward's announcement, reports The Philippine Inquirer. Philippine newspapers are also praising the action. "The U.S. offer … can be understood in two ways," says an Inquirer editorial "First, as an admission that the military option is not working, or second, as an indication that the war against the Abu Sayyaf has reached a new and critical stage. … One year after the Burnhams were abducted, the most successful economy in world history may have finally realized that it was time to unleash the ultimate weapon in non-nuclear warfare: money." And it will be effective, says Max V. Soliven in The Philippine Star: "By putting a price on the heads of Abu Sayyaf chieftains … you can bet Washington, D.C., will at last be causing those kidnappers, murderers, and self-styled jihadis sleepless nights."

Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya is laughing it off. "That's a nice offer. It shows that we are important not only in Islam but to its enemies as well," he said on the radio yesterday.

But not everyone is happy about the reward. "In failing to seek the prior concurrence or consent [of the] administration, the U.S. Embassy might be seen as committing an insensitive act toward the country's sovereignty," opposition Senator Blas Ople said. Another national representative complained that the money should instead be going ...