Galib Andang

Galib Andang, better known by his alias Commander Robot is one of the more colorful chieftains of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group. He is best known for demanding an orange plantation on his land in Talipao, to be paid for and set up by the government, as one of their demands for the release of the hostages during the Sipadan crisis last April 2000. Predictably, the government's answer was that the project was "not doable".

"Commander Robot" was so named by his comrades early in his career, when he received a grevious chest wound in a firefight. He reportedly was still able to walk around and return fire while wounded, prompting his men to call him "Robot", after the hero in the Robocop movie. (Oh, yes. Even hardened Islamic fundamentalists are not immune to Hollywood...)

He is one of the more easily-recognized faces in the Abu Sayyaf, in part due to his frequent apperances on news broadcasts and interviews. He is brash and outspoken, and together with Abu Sabaya have made several outlandish demands on government negotiators, including calling for them to send popular screen actor Robin Padilla to Mindanao as the goverment's envoy.

Galib Andang is currently being pursued by the authorities. There is a P5 million price on his head, with P1 million to be paid to any informants that can pinpoint his location for the military. With unconfirmed reports of the death of Khadafy Janjalani, he may be in line for the leadership of the Abu Sayyaf.