Philippine Muslim militants get money after YouTube campaign

Oct 15, 2007, 8:55 GMT

Manila - An al-Qaeda-linked Muslim militant group in the southern Philippines has been able to raise funds after posting video clips about the organization on the popular internet site YouTube, police said Monday.

The video clips seeking funds and support for the Abu Sayyaf rebel group, blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines, were posted on YouTube in August.

The clips featured the late Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Janjalani and his younger brother and replacement Khadafi Janjalani. Abdurajak Janjalani was killed by security forces on Basilan in 1998, while his brother died last year on Jolo.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao, national police spokesman, warned that with the fresh funds, the Abu Sayyaf was reportedly eyeing to launch bomb attacks 'to inflict mass casualties.'

He said national police chief Director General Avelino Razon has ordered all unit commanders, especially in the southern region of Mindanao, to remain vigilant because of a high threat level in October.

'There are significant reports on new money received by the Abu Sayyaf financial network in the area,' Pagdilao said in a statement, citing reports by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.

'The money notably arrived after the Abu Sayyaf uploaded in the internet the video of the late Janjalani brothers seeking material and financial support for the beleaguered bandit group,' he added.

The NICA did not say where the money came from and how the Abu Sayyaf was supposed to have received the funds.

In August, the military stepped up offensives against Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern island of Jolo and Basilan province following a series of battlefield losses.

The video clips appeared on YouTube shortly after. The speakers on the clips used Arabic in an apparent attempt to appeal to wealthy would-be benefactors from the Middle East.

The Abu Sayyaf is believed to have tied up with the regional Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group to train operatives in the southern Philippines and launch attacks not only in the country but also in the region.