MORE SURRENDERERS. Two more Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members surrender to the military on Friday (Sept. 25, 2020) amid the latter’s continuous focused offensives against the terrorist group in Sulu province. The two are photographed with military officials led by the commander of the Army’s 6th Special Forces Battalion, Lt. Col. Rafael Caido (rightmost). (Photo courtesy of the Joint Task Force Sulu)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two more members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered amid the sustained focused military operation against the terrorist group in Sulu province, officials said Saturday.
Brig. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the Army's 1102nd Infantry Brigade, said Abu Jepoy, 35, and Abu Omar, 26, surrendered at about 10 a.m. on Friday and turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle and an M-79 grenade launcher to Lt. Col. Rafael Caido, commander of the 6th Special Forces Battalion.
Abu Jepoy and Abu Omar, residents of Patikul and Talipao, respectively, told the military they were convinced by their former comrade, Amah Adin, to surrender and take advantage of the reintegration programs being offered by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC) of the two towns.
Adin surrendered on September 10.
Patrimonio said the pressure from the continuous military operations against the groups of ASG leaders Mundi Sawadjaan and Radulan Sahiron was also partly instrumental to the ASG members’ surrender.
Their surrender came two days after eight of their comrades yielded to the Joint Task Force (JTF) Sulu, bringing to 10 the total number of ASG surrenderers in Sulu this week.
Patrimonio said focused military operations are ongoing in Patikul, Talipao, and Indanan towns to pursue fleeing ASG bandits. (PNA)
