Arroyo gets cold shoulder at wake for RP hostage<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Lamitan, Philippines<\/p>\n
President Gloria Arroyo was given the cold shoulder on Tuesday by
\ngrieving residents of this town who blame her government for a
\nyear-long hostage crisis that led to the deaths of a local nurse
\nand a U.S. missionary last week.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by her top defense and military officials, Arroyo
\nwas taken to the Saint Peter's church compound where Ediborah
\nYap's remains, enclosed in a white casket, served as a rallying
\ncry for justice for atrocities committed by the Abu Sayyaf
\nbandits.<\/p>\n
Asked about last week's rescue attempt, Roman Catholic parish
\npriest Cirilo Nacorda pointed to Yap's coffin and said: "How can
\nyou call it successful? What is their measure? It took more than
\na year, and then this."<\/p>\n
The rebels in June last year laid siege to the church compound
\nand a nearby hospital and took hostage dozens of local residents,
\nincluding Yap, a nurse.<\/p>\n
Days earlier, the rebels had snatched 20 tourists, including
\nU.S. Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, from
\na beach resort and taken them to Basilan island.<\/p>\n
Most of the captives were murdered or freed allegedly after
\nransom payments, leaving behind Yap and the Burnham couple in
\nrebel captivity until Friday, when the military mounted a bloody
\nrescue attempt.<\/p>\n
Yap and Martin Burnham were killed in the attempt, but the
\nU.S. missionary's wife, Gracia, was rescued.<\/p>\n
Reporters were cordoned off during Arroyo's visit here, but
\nshe was overheard as promising Yap's mother that a hospital was
\nto be named after the slain nurse in honor of her heroism and
\nbravery.<\/p>\n
Zorais Andong, Yap's fellow nurse at the Jose Torres Hospital,
\naccused the government of not exerting enough effort for the
\nformer hostages.<\/p>\n
"We feel that the abuse she endured was too much. She suffered
\nso greatly for one year, only to die. You can't blame the people
\nif they feel the government is partly responsible," she said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) spokesman
\nwarned on Tuesday that massive manhunt for Abu Sayyaf kidnappers
\nin the southern Philippines could lead to clashes between the
\nmilitary and a larger Muslim group in the area.<\/p>\n
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu told reporters "this relentless
\nmilitary operation" could result in unintended clashes with the
\nrebel group's 6,000 guerrillas in the peninsula.<\/p>\n
The government signed a cease-fire with the 12,000-strong MILF
\nlast year, and last month signed a supplementary agreement in
\nwhich the group pledged to deny sanctuary to fleeing Abu Sayyaf
\ngunmen.<\/p>",
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