Leadership collapse pushes 4 Abu Sayyaf bandits to surrender

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 7, 2021): Leadership collapse pushes 4 Abu Sayyaf bandits to surrender (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

BACK INTO THE FOLD. A total of four Abu Sayyaf Group bandits surrender on Saturday (Feb. 6, 2021) due to disunity and loss of leaders. Photo shows the four ASG surrenderers and the firearms they yielded, together with military officials in Sulu. (Photo courtesy of the 11th Infantry Division Public Information Office)

A total of four Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have surrendered to government troops in Sulu brought about by disunity and loss of leaders, military officials announced Monday.

Brig. Gen. Antonio Bautista Jr., 1101st Infantry Brigade commander, identified two of the four surrenderers as Almudar Muhajiri and Titong Karnan, both followers of ASG senior leader Radulan Sahiron.

Bautista said the two surrendered Saturday and turned over M16A and FN (Gew Kal 7.62) rifles through the efforts of the 100th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Alex Gagula.

Col. Benjamin Batara, 1102nd Infantry Brigade commander, identified the other two ASG surrenderers as Fahad Amsad Abdah and Lino Adian Muhalim who are followers of the late ASG sub-leader Hairulla Asbang and the late ASG sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya, respectively.

Batara said the surrender of the two was facilitated by the 6th Special Forces Battalion under Lt. Col. Rafael Caido.

He said Abdah and Muhalim yielded two caliber .30 M1 Garand rifles when they surrendered on Saturday, following a series of intercessions in connection with the continuous campaign effort of the local government of Patikul and the Army units in the area.

Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, 11th Infantry Division commander, said he and Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan are working on finalizing the arrangements for a formalized deradicalization and rehabilitation program for former ASG bandits.

“The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is downloading funds. We are planning for halfway house, livelihood programs and scholarships for the children of former ASG members," Gonzales said.

"I myself and Governor Tan directly coordinate with OPAPP Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on how to effectively implement these programs. This is important so all can start anew and Sulu can continue towards peace and development,” he added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129934