5 Abu Sayyaf fighters surrender in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Five Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighters from Sulu and Basilan surrendered to the police in this city on Thursday, July 18, police announced Friday.

Police Brigadier General Froilan Quidilla, regional director of the Police Regional Office in Zamboanga Peninsula (PRO-9), said the five ASG fighters originally surrendered to the Provincial Mobile Force Company in Zamboanga del Sur and then later brought to PRO-9 headquarters in this city for the formal surrender.

PRO-9 only provided the aliases of the five bandits, as follows: Arjun, 21, of Barangay Latih, Patikul town, Sulu; a certain It, 20, of Barangay Suyak, Ungkaya Pukan town, Basilan; Khaifal, 23, of Barangay Kabuntakas, Patikul, Sulu; Khap Boy, 29, of Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-tipo, Basilan; and Mat, 33, also of Barangay Baguindan, Tipo-tipo, Basilan.

Quidilla said the five bandits turned over to the police their high powered weapons – an M14 rifle with three magazines, M16 rifle with built-in 40mm grenade launcher, an Elisco brand M16 rifle with one magazines, two hand grenades, another M16 rifle with 2 magazines, an M16 rifle with built-in M203 grenade launcher, and four ammunition for a grenade launcher.

He said the successful surrender was due to the hard work of Police Lieutenant Colonel Parson Asadil, company commander of the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the intelligence unit of the Philippine Army’s 1st Infantry Division.

Quidilla said the five ASG members would be treated as rebel returnees and placed under the rehabilitation program of the government to ensure that they would not return to the notorious group. /kga