SURRENDER. Two members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (standing 2nd and 3rd from left) surrender Tuesday (Oct. 18, 2022) to the police in Isabela City, Basilan. The surrenderers said they went into hiding after their leader was killed in a clash with government troops in 2020 in R.T. Lim town, Zamboanga Sibugay. (Photo courtesy of CIDG - Peninsula)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two more members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered to authorities in Basilan province, an official said Wednesday.
Maj. Allan Alog, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Basilan Field Unit chief, said Roy Cablangan, 29’ and Abdussamir Dapilin, 30, yielded around 6 p.m. Tuesday to the police in Isabela City, Basilan.
Alog said personnel of the CIDG, Regional Intelligence Unit-9, and Isabela City Police Station facilitated the surrender of the duo, “who chose to embrace and return to the fold of the law.”
He said Cablangan, of Barangay Macalang, Al-Barka, was a follower of Basilan-based ASG sub-leader Nurhassan Jamiri.
Cablangan joined the group of Puruji Indama, another Basilan-based ASG sub-leader, after Jamiri and 12 of his followers have surrendered to military authorities on March 28, 2018.
Likewise, Dapilin, of Barangay Lower Sinangkapan, Tuburan, was also a follower of Indama.
Cablangan and Dapilin have gone into hiding after Indama was killed in a clash with government forces on September 2020 in R.T. Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Alog said Cablangan was involved in the clash with Philippine Marines sometime in 2011 in Barangay Macalang, Al-Barka.
The two were also involved in the attack on government forces in the same year in Barangay Cabangalan, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan which resulted in the death of three Army personnel.
In 2013, they were also involved in the ambush of government troops in Sitio Korellem, Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-Tipo, Basilan which led to the death of 20 Army personnel.
Alog said the two surrenderers were placed under custodial debriefing and will later be released to their relatives where they will be closely monitored.
On Monday, three other ASG members also surrendered to the personnel of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao and Joint Task Force-Basilan. (PNA)
