4 more Abu Sayyaf members surrender

From Malaya Business Insight (Mar 5): 4 more Abu Sayyaf members surrender

FOUR members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf surrendered to the Armed Forces on Saturday morning in Sulu, bringing to 28 the number of Abu Sayyaf men who have yielded to the military this year.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command, said the four – Raddoh Jamah, Saddam Hussien Hayudani , Okim Jikiri and Abdulsali Abda Abdulkarim – yielded because they wanted to start a new life.

Petinglay said the four surrendered to officials of the elite 2nd Special Forces Battalion at the unit’s headquarters in Barangay Samak in Talipao town at around 8:30 a.m. bringing with them three rifles and a handgun.

“They wanted to have a chance of a new life, free from fear of getting caught by the intensifying military offensives (against the Abu Sayyaf),” Petinglay said.

Petinglay said the four were also motivated by government programs, including livelihood, provided to Abu Sayyaf men who had surrendered.

Petinglay said the surrender of the four raised to 28 Abu Sayyaf men who gave up to the military this year – 16 in Sulu, 10 in Basilan and two in Tawi-Tawi.

The four are set to be turned over to the Joint Task Force Sulu in Jolo town for medical examination and custodial debriefing, said Petinglay.

JTF Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the four surrendered “after they saw that the government was serious in giving them a second chance to live a peaceful life.”

The military is aiming to end the Abu Sayyaf before the end of the year. The group is composed of around 400 members, mostly in Sulu where the Abu Sayyaf is holding 10 foreign and Filipino kidnap victims.

“Our focus is to rescue the remaining kidnap victims. In so doing, some of them opted to surrender because they are already tired of running, and they’re lacking support,” said Sobejana.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/4-more-abu-sayyaf-members-surrender