4 Abus surrender, 4 firearms turned-over to soldiers in Sulu

By Jong D. Cadion

ZAMBOANGA CITY (March 04, 2018) - Four Abu Sayyaf members in Sulu surrenders to the soldiers of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion of the Joint Task Force Sulu at 8:30AM, Saturday (March 3), military official said.

Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) Cpt Jo-Ann D Petinglay disclosed that Raddoh Jamah and Saddam Hussein, both residents of Talipao Sulu; Okim Jikiri and Abdulsali Abda Abdulkarim both of Omar, Sulu voluntarily turned-over their firearms to the soldiers upon their surrender. Jamah and Hayudani are former members of Abu Sayyaf Subleader Sibih Pisih while Jikiri and Abdulrahim are trusted followers of Alhabsy Misaya.

Cpt Petinglay said that turned-over firearms were one M16 rifle, two Garand rifles, and one (1) Colt cal .45 pistol. They are currently at the headquarters of the 2nd SFBn at Sitio Bayug, Brgy Samak, Talipao and will be brought to headquarters JTF SULU, Brgy Bus-Bus, Jolo, Sulu for their medical examination and custodial debriefing.

“We greatly attribute the current surrenders to the efforts of the local government of Sulu and the information from those Abus who surrendered earlier,” said Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, Commander, Joint Task Force Sulu.

“Those who are still hiding have come out after they saw that the government was serious in giving them a second chance to live a peaceful life.”

Cpt Petinglay further said that for 2018 alone, a total of 28 ASG personalities have already surrendered in WMC JAO, broken down as follows: 10 in Basilan, 16 in Sulu, and 2 in Tawi-Tawi. WestMinCom has accumulated a total of 186 ASG surrenderees since 2017 and continue to process feelers as it sustains the campaign against the bandit group particularly in BaSulTa area.

"We will maintain the momentum and we will cater and process future Abu Sayyaf surrenderees with the support of all the Governors, Mayors and Barangay officials of the region including the traditional and religious leaders," Lieutenant General Carlito G Galvez, Jr., Commander of the Western Mindanao Command said.

"The AFP through WestMinCom will continue the pressure and sustain the strategic alliance with our partners in eradicating the ASG menace and terror threats in Western Mindanao.”

“As long as the community and the local government units are with us in this fight, we will surely accomplish our mission,” declares the WestMinCom Commander.