In the last column, I warned the Catholic Church about the plan of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu to kidnap a priest and a nun and hold them for ransom.
I got the information from a source who has penetrated the bandit group.
Two days ago, I received another piece of distressing information from the same source: A plan to bomb the Jolo Cathedral, Notre Dame Girls’ Department and some business establishments.
The improvised explosive device (IED) will be placed on parked motorcycles, my source said.
I was also given the following names of persons or owners of business establishments the Abu Sayyaf plans to kidnap: Pescadera, Chiong, Dr. Almonte, Annie Yap of ZBGA Store, Danny McMickey, Joel Lengs, Mimi Pharmacy, Cleopatra, Napocor, Canaria DepEd.
What is my purpose in coming out with these names?
To warn the people and establishments involved, since the military and police intelligence agents are not doing their job.
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My source says military and police intelligence know most of the members of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
These are mostly boys in their early teens whose fathers are members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
These boys are allegedly led by some MNLF elders.
The MNLF elders, in turn, are reportedly under the mantle of protection of a provincial official.
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A Chinese-Filipino, who owns a chain of supermarkets, has been named as the buyer of most of the missing containers.
The businessman admits he used to be a smuggler of foodstuff but has gone legitimate ever since.
He says he now buys all his goods from importers whom he considers “legitimate.”
As to whether the taxes and duties were paid on goods he buys from importers is no longer his problem, he says.
“I paid a good amount for those goods, Mon,” he says.
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A friend of mine has a complaint against a lawyer who was inadvertently not given a 20-percent senior citizen’s discount by her pastry shop and restaurant.
The lawyer was a customer of the pastry-dine in shop recently.
The owner said the shop’s cashier failed to give the lawyer a 20-percent discount for two macaroons.
He was, however, given a senior’s discount for coffee, the other item he ordered.
The macaroons cost P70 so he should have paid only P56, with the discount.
The lawyer could not be pacified even if the shop management had admitted its mistake and offered to give him one whole cake free.
He has filed a case in court against the management.
The lawyer is asking for P80,000 as a settlement, a pretty steep price to pay for a simple mistake.
His identity will be known once the case goes on trial and he becomes the laughing stock of his compañeros and compañeras.