Two Abu Sayyaf surrenders to troops of WestMinCom

By Jong Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (March 28, 2018) - As President Duterte received 76 Abu Sayyaf surrendered on Tuesday (March 27) in Sulu and another notorious Abu surrendered to Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi Commander Brigadier General Custodio Parcon, in Brgy Sanga-Sanga, Bongao, Tawi-tawi at 10am Tuesday (March 27), military official said.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) PIO Cpt Jo-Ann D Petinglay disclosed that the soldiers of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 9 successfully facilitated the surrender of Rizal Karaman, a cohort of the late KFRG leader Butchoy Hassan. Karaman also turned over his cal .30 garand rifle to the soldiers upon his surrender. He was subjected to a medical checkup to ensure that any medical conditions be given attention.

Cpt Petinglay also said that on March 26, Abu Sayyaf member Alnijul Caray Aspi, a.k.a. Misang also surrendered to Lieutenant Colonel Ronaldo Mateo of the 32nd Infantry Battalion at the headquarters in Barnagay Bon-Bon, Patikul, Sulu. Aspi, 24 years old and a resident of Barangay Lipunos, Parang, Sulu, is a follower of ASG sub-leader Majan Sahidjuan, a.k.a. Apoh Mike. He also turned over an M1 Garand (Springfield) rifle. Aspi underwent a custodial debriefing conducted by the JTF Sulu troops.

From January 1, 2017 to March 27, 2018, a total of 204 Abu Sayyaf members yielded to the Joint Task Forces in the joint area of operations, 85 of whom surrendered in Basilan, 80 in Sulu, 37 in Tawi-Tawi, and two in Zamboanga City, she added.

“This only manifests the progress that we are attaining in our all-out offensives to defeat the Abu Sayyaf Group in ZamBaSulTa area, particularly in the province of Sulu, and we are elated to have the support of Suluanons,” said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command. “We believe that, in time, we will bring about the peace and development in Sulu.”

“The President’s message is very clear, he will be open to accept Abusayyaf surrenderers if they decide to do such and they will be made to undergo programs that are similar to that of the enhanced CLIP of the NPA surrenderers,” added LtGen Galvez.