The beheading of Noel Besconde on Maundy Thursday by the Abu Sayyaf has enraged Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año, who vowed to deliver a lethal blow to the bandit group’s terrorist acts. AP Photo/Aaron Favila
The beheading of Noel Besconde on Maundy Thursday by the Abu Sayyaf has enraged Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año, who vowed to deliver a lethal blow to the bandit group’s terrorist acts.
“This terrorist group, by their recent barbarism, are all the more fueling the desire of the AFP to crush their beastly practice, stop their kidnap-for-ransom activities and restore peace in Western Mindanao,” Año said.“We will never falter. We will not rest even a bit in our conduct of combat, intelligence and civil-military operations to protect our people. We will exhaust all means – legal and moral – to bring this war against terrorists to conclusion.”
Besconde was one of four FB Ramona 2 crewmembers the group abducted in the Celebes Sea last December and brought to Sulu as captives, just days after the AFP intensified its operations in known Abu Sayyaf lairs in the provinces of Basilan and Sulu and, more recently, Bohol.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella called on the public to be vigilant and report information to the military and police.
“We strongly condemn this senseless and coldblooded murder committed during the Holy Week,” Abella said, giving assurance that authorities and security forces are exhausting all means to locate the captain’s remains.Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the military’s Joint Task Force Sulu, believes that Besconde was murdered by his captors in the vicinity of Barangay Tugas in Patikul, Sulu because he was ill and thus slowed down the bandits’ movements.
The group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Sawadjaan is believed to be behind the murder.
Although a report said Sawadjaan executed Besconde after a failure to pay P3 million in ransom, the military said this was “unlikely” as the bandits are known to make public announcements and issue warnings and ultimatums.
“It all the more drives our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines to deliver the lethal blow against this band of terrorists and rescue the remaining kidnap victims,” Año said as he directed Sobejana to locate Besconde’s remains so he could be brought to his family and accorded a decent burial.
The AFP, on orders of President Duterte, has only until June 30 to finish off the group.
Meanwhile, Duterte conferred a Gold Cross Medal on the slain 2Lt. Estelito Saldua Jr. at his residence in San Jose, Batangas yesterday, hours after arriving from his week-long trip in the Middle East.
He attended the wake of the 23-year-old soldier who was killed during combat operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Inabanga, Bohol on April 11.
Duterte comforted the bereaved parents, Gina and Estelito, and the siblings of the slain soldier, giving them financial assistance and a “direct line to the President” through a cellular phone that contains his contact details.
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