ASG use drug money, members high on drugs

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (Sep. 29, 2016)- Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and its different factions are using illegal drugs as means of funding and motivation for members in staging terrorism, criminal acts and other anti-Islamic activities, military official said.

Information Officer Col. Rodrigo Gregorio of Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu, Southern Philippines disclosed that this is the findings of numerous units in ZamBaSulta area confronting the ASG. Reports coming from line units indicate that those engaging the troops are mostly young recruits who are most probably high in certain drugs particularly Shabu as evidenced by paraphernalia being recovered in the belongings of dead ASG and in their lairs.

Col. Gregorio said that drugs are being used to lure youngsters who may have been given shabu for free and later on recruited once they are addicted to it. Reports also indicate that money generated from shabu is being used to finance the ASG daily operations

Col. Gregorio added that this is also the revelation of several former hostages of the group. Those guarding hostages are always high on drugs. Former Indonesian hostage Herman Bin Manggak revealed in his debriefing that five to seven ASG are always guarding him and were personally seen by him taking Shabu. Talking to interpreters, he said he was nearly rescued three times by government troops who were engaged in fierce gun battles. In those instances, Herman said he witnessed the effect of drugs to the ASG bandits who treat a deadly gun battle as a sort of game.

Proliferation of drugs in ZamBaSulta area is believed to be connected with the handiwork of ASG in cahoots with big drug lords. In Sulu in particular, several anti-drug operations by joint PNP-AFP troops resulted in drug haul and death of some suspects and government t troops as most anti-drug operation results in bloody confrontation with heavily armed suspects. The latest fatality in the drug war in Sulu is PO2 Tirso Mantalaba, 27 years old, of 24SAC, SAF, PNP, Col. Gregorio also disclosed.

It may be recalled that last Saturday, joint PNP-AFP forces composed of 24SAC, 33SAC, 52SAC of SAF,PNP and the Army's 10IB conducted a joint anti-illegal drug operation in Brgy Kaunayan, Patikul, Sulu which resulted to a gun battle.

He said, the suspected drug dealer Anuddin Akiran Daharani, 38 years old, fired the first shot that caused the death of PO2 Mantalaba while the suspect was also killed in the firefight. Troops recovered high powered firearms and drug paraphernalia.

PO2 Mantalaba, a native of La Trinidad, Benguet was flown to Manila Sunday to be brought to his family.

In Zamboanga City, another ASG member, Arnisar Dangsani Ismaluddin was arrested by police in a buy-bust operation Tuesday afternoon. In Metro Manila, several ASG members involved in the drug trade have also been arrested.