Incident Summary:
05/27/2001: Twenty Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) gunmen abducted twenty people from the Dos Palmas Island Resort at Honda Bay in the Palawan province of the Philippines. The ASG again threatened to behead or otherwise kill the hostages if their demands were not met. On June 1, 2001, two of the Philippine hostages were beheaded, and several days later the ASG announced that it had also beheaded Guillermo Sobero, one of the American hostages. U.S. hostage Gracia Burnham was rescued on June 7, 2002, while American Martin Burnham and Filipino Ediborah Yap were both killed during an encounter between the ASG and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The fate of the other hostages was not known.
Overview
GTD ID:
200105270003
When:
2001-05-27
Country:
Philippines
Region:
Southeast Asia
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Palawan
City:
Dos Palmas
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Resort Hotel |
Specific Description |
Dos Palmas Island Resort at Honda Bay |
Nationality of Target |
Philippines |
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Employees |
Specific Description |
Employees at the Dos Palmas Island Resort at Honda Bay |
Nationality of Target |
Philippines |
Target Type: Tourists |
Name of Entity |
Tourists |
Specific Description |
Tourists from the Dos Palmas Island Resort at Honda Bay |
Nationality of Target |
Multinational |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
20 |
US Hostages |
2 |
Outcome |
Combination |
Ransom |
Yes |
Total Ransom Amount Demanded |
Unknown |
Ransom Amount Demanded from US Sources |
Unknown |
Total Ransom Amount Paid |
Unknown |
Total Ransom Amount Paid by US Sources |
Unknown |
Ransom Notes |
Gracia Burham later stated that although ransom was paid for her and her husband, the ASG refused to release them. |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
Yes |
Alternate Designation () |
Other Crime Type |
Additional Information |
The hostages included Americans Guillermo Sobero, and Gracia and Martin Burham and Filipino Ediborah Yap. Reports differed on the nationalities of some of the hostages; some reports stated that aside from the American hostages, the rest of the victims were from the Philippines, while others stated that there were other foreign hostages as well. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
20 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
5 Fatalities |
Total Number of Fatalities |
5 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
Unknown |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
"Gunmen seize 20 tourists from Philippine resort: Rebel group suspected as military scours area,” Edmonton Journal, May 27, 2001. |
"Philippines: Two Spaniards, One American Kidnapped in Palawan, Rescue Launched,” Agence France Presse, May 27, 2001. |
“Janjalani Designated For Leadership Position In Abu Sayyaf Group,” US Fed News, December 17, 2004. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties