By Jong Cadion
ZAMBOANGA
CITY (February 14, 2018) – Three (3) Abu Sayyaf and seven (7) Communist-NPA-Terrorists
members laid down their arms in the midst of the sustained operations in
Western Mindanao for the past two days.
Western
Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) information officer Cpt Jo-Ann D. Petinglay disclosed
that Karim Abubakar, Jimboy Abubakar Aldam, and Imran Arajan Abdulajidz,
members of Abu Sayyaf Group Subleader Nurhassan Jamiri yielded to the troops of
the 4th Special Forces Battalion, Special Forces Regiment-Airborne, Special
Operations Command in Barangay Banah, Tipo-Tipo, Basilan at 4:45pm Tuesday
(February 13). The trio surrendered an M16A1 rifle, a Garand rifle, and other
war materiel.
Brigadier
General Juvymax Uy, Commander of the Joint Task Force Basilan, said the
returnees are currently at the headquarters of the 4SFBn in Barangay Cabunbata,
Isabela City, Basilan undergoing a custodial debriefing.
Cpt
Petinglay stresses that as of this report, Western Mindanao Command has
facilitated the surrender of 177 Abu Sayyaf members since 2017. For this year
alone, there are 19 Abu Sayyaf members who surrendered to the Joint Task Forces
in the area of responsibility. Of this record, nine (9) yielded to the military
in Basilan, eight in Sulu, and two in Tawi-Tawi.
Cpt
Petinglay further said that meanwhile, seven Communist-NPA-Terrorists under a
certain Mac-Mac surrendered to the military troops in Maguindanao last Monday
(February 12) morning. The returnees were identified as Godus Sintaw, 36; Arnel
Dimantukay, 21; Donie Diwan, 28; Ghagha Ansag, 25; Danilo M8ngkay, 25; Larry Ugalingan,
34; and Jimmy Ulangkaya, 34.
Turned over
by the surrenderees were a 7.62mm M14 rifle, two M1 Garand rifles, a homemade
M16 sniper rifle, a Springfield rifle, a Caliber .38 revolver, a hand grenade,
and a landmine, she added.
Major
General Arnel Dela Vega, Commander of the Joint Task Force Central, said that
the returnees were also made to undergo custodial debriefing and medical checkup
upon their surrender.
“We have
them medically checked in order to make sure that none of them is ill. If ever
there are medical conditions that need attention, we will automatically have
these treated while they are under our care.”
Since
January 1, 2017, troops have already facilitated the surrender of 146 CNTs in
WestMinCom’s Joint Area of Operations.
From January
this year to date, a total of 42 CNTs surrendered to the troops, Cpt Petinglay added.
“We had
been receiving and processing so much surrenders since last year up to the
first quarter of this year,” said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr.,
commander of the Western Mindanao Command. “Most often, our units are the ones
being contacted by those who wish to lay down arms.”
“This
development largely reflects our intensified operations against the ASG and the
CNTs, not only on focused military operations (FMO) but also on the Community
Support Program being implemented by our troops in the entire command,” added
LtGen Galvez.
“Our units
are gaining a headway and have been effective in convincing these former rebels
to change their lives and have a chance to be good citizens of the community.”
“Your
WestMinCom will sustain our intensified operations against all the enemies of
the state, and we will take all means necessary to put an end to this terror
menace,” the WestMinCom Chief adds.
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