ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Difficulties in life and maltreatment are some of the reasons why members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) decided to surrender to the military authorities in Basilan province.
Brig. Gen. Juvymax Uy, Army’s 104th Infantry Brigade commander, on Monday said these were the revelations of the three notorious ASG members who surrendered to his command in Basilan.
Uy identified them as the following: Garama Sulayman, 21; Omar Jaljalis, 18; and, Marhaban Pael, 34, who surrendered on Saturday his battalion commanders.
Uy said Sulayman alias Abu Tarik is number nine in the list of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as among the notorious ASG member in Basilan.
Sulayman is a follower of ASG sub-leader Radzmil Jannatul.
Jaljalis alias Oman was among the followers of ASG Basilan-based leader Furudji Indama.
Uy said they turned over two M-16 “Baby Armalite” rifles and a carbine rifle with ammunition.
“They said they decided to surrender due to hardship and hunger they experienced with the ASG. Besides, they also experienced manhandling and worst some of them were killed,” he said.
He said the surrenderees “are now happy that they finally have the chance to live a new life with with loved ones.”
They were brought to the headquarters of the Joint Task Force Basilan for custodial debriefing, medical checkup, and proper disposition.
“The surrenderees in the Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) areas continue to snowball as the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), through the different Joint Task Forces, sustains its security operations, particularly isolating the reformables from the hard core ASG members, through community-based dialogue, community support programs, and diplomatic mentoring,” Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., Westmincom chief said.
The surrender of the three have brought to a total of 170 ASG members who surrendered to the government authorities.
Of the total, 75 have surrendered in Basilan; 60 in Sulu; 33 in Tawi-Tawi; and, two in Zamboanga City. (PNA)
