MANILA, Philippines—Hawks from the administration and the opposition outnumber the doves, calling for an all-out war against kidnappers and terrorists in Mindanao.

With the Abu Sayyaf group no longer holding hostages in Sulu, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. Monday said it was time for the military to escalate operations on Jolo island and get its “high-valued” leaders.

A day after the release of Italian Red Cross volunteer Eugenio Vagni from six months of harsh jungle captivity, Teodoro said he had directed the military to intensify pursuit operations against the al-Qaeda-linked kidnappers.

It is not the time to focus on what transpired behind the release of Vagni but on the follow-up operations, Teodoro said.

“I want results as soon as possible,” he told reporters at the launching of his Internet portal for his presidential candidacy in 2010.

Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan earlier called for a stepped-up assault on the Abu Sayyaf, but Teodoro said government troops could not go on “all-out war” as this would result in mass displacement.

He warned local and foreign visitors to stay away from Sulu.

“This is a fair warning to all, another kidnapping incident will no longer stop our operations, we will no longer be stopped as what happened in the past,” Teodoro said, adding that the Vagni case set back the military’s fight against terrorism in the area.

No more ‘ningas cogon’

“We can no longer tolerate ningas cogon (short-lived enthusiasm). We have to continue to eradicate the Abu Sayyaf,” Teodoro added.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chair of the Senate committee on national defense and security, also supported the intensified drive.

“The total destruction of the terrorists or kidnappers will be a great legacy of this administration, even if the total elimination of insurgency cannot be achieved within the remaining term of the President,” Biazon said.

The former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the Civilian Volunteer Organization (CVO) must be allowed to play a role in the integrated military drive against terrorists in Mindanao.

Biazon called for the investigation of civilians and government personnel who might have provided the Abu Sayyaf “support and safe havens.”

Use of intel funds

“They must also be prosecuted. Everything must be done to pursue and destroy the terrorist group. This effort should be supported not only with personnel and logistics required but also with intelligence funds,” Biazon said.

For this year, the Philippine National Police has P270 million while the AFP has P118 million in intelligence funds, he said.

“If that is not enough, the President should reallocate part of the P650 million intelligence funds of the Office of the President to the AFP and the PNP, and require the agencies to properly account for the use of the funds afterwards,” Biazon said.

Former President Joseph Estrada also said he favored a vigorous antiterrorist campaign.

“I believe an all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf is the solution,” Estrada told reporters on the sidelines of a forum at University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City Monday. “I believe that the terror caused by this group in our country must be stopped,” he added.

No more obstacle

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition, said in a statement:

“The national government has repeatedly dismissed the Abu Sayyaf as a small group of terrorists, and yet this small group has been behind kidnappings and other acts of atrocities that challenge the authority of government.

“With Vagni’s release, there should be no more obstacle to neutralizing this terror group. They should be stopped.”

But Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the Philippine National Red Cross, urged the Arroyo administration to open the lines of communication with the rebel group.

“The government should talk to the Abu Sayyaf. You cannot say that they are purely outlaws. If an outlaw wants to surrender, you have to talk to him,” the senator said.

Breakthrough?

Gordon also denounced what he described as a military practice of kidnapping relatives of the abductors to pressure them into releasing their hostages, noting that this tactic was a manifestation of government failure.

That the Abu Sayyaf released the three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross and was willing to accept government aid point to a breakthrough, Gordon said.

The group, he said, had lost so much during the six months of military offensives against them and were probably tired. He said two brothers of the Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad were killed and another commander, Abu Ali, also lost a brother.

The military suffered 14 dead, Gordon said.

“These are not complicated people. They want a life again. Their families are important to them. Maybe it’s time to talk to them,” he said. With reports from Jocelyn R. Uy, Michael Lim Ubac, Kristine L. Alave, Tarra Quismundo, Allison W. Lopez and Iste Sesante Leopoldo, Inquirer Visayas