8 Abu Sayyaf members arrested in Sabah

CAPTURED The Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command released on Monday the photos of the eight Abu Sayyaf members arrested in Sabah on Saturday. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — Eight members of the Abu Sayyaf Group, including two of its subleaders, were arrested in Sabah, Malaysia, on Saturday through the collaboration between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), military officials said on Monday.

Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said those arrested included Sansibar Bensio and Mabar Binda, known subleaders of the bandit group operating in Sulu province; and Abu Sayyaf members Muayyar Binda, Alim Sukarno, Lugah Sanchez, Bonijar Samsula and two others with aliases Sansis and Firdaus.

“The arrest of these terrorists is a big blow to the Abu Sayyaf,” Vinluan said.

Acting on the information provided by the Joint Task Force Sulu, Esscom launched a police special operation in Jalan Taman Sri Arjuna, Beaufort, Sabah, at 3 a.m. on Saturday, which led to the arrest of the suspects, Vinluan said.

The military has yet to say how long the eight bandits had been in hiding in Sabah and when they will be brought to the country.

Maj. Gen. William Gonzales, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu, said Bensio and Mabar were subleaders of the kidnap-for-ransom group based on the eastern side and second district of Sulu.

Father’s successor

He said Mabar, the son of the slain Abu Sayyaf subleader Hatib Munap Binda, succeeded his father.

He said Mabar’s and Bensio’s group was involved in the series of armed clashes with the military, including the encounter at Sitio Tubig Magtuh, Barangay Panglayahan of Patikul town in Sulu in July 2011, where a Philippine Marines officer, Lt. Michael Baladad, was beheaded.

The two subleaders were also involved in the February 2018 encounter at Bay Sunog, Bud Bawis Complex, that resulted in the deaths of five Abu Sayyaf members; and the December 2019 encounter at Sitio Jatih, Bud Bawis Complex, that resulted in the rescue of two Indonesian nationals and the death of Abu Sayyaf subleader Hairulla Abduraja.

One of the most recent clashes between the military and the Abu Sayyaf happened in November 2020 at Bay Takas, Bud Bawis Complex, Sulu, that resulted in the deaths of Abu Sayyaf member Bensio Barahama and subleader Hatib Munap Binda.

Gonzales said Bensio was involved in the kidnapping of Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, Dutch national Ewold Horn, and Indonesian nationals Samiun Bin Maneu, Maharudin Bin Lunani and Muhammad Farhan.

Kidnap victims

Vinciguerra was able to escape in 2014 almost three years since he was abducted with Horn while they were bird-watching in Tawi-Tawi province in 2012. But Horn was killed by his captors while trying to escape in May 2019 during an intense clash between soldiers and the bandit group in Sulu’s town of Patikul.

He said Mabar was also involved in the kidnapping of the Indonesian nationals, who were all rescued in January 2020.

According to Gonzalez, their Filipino victims included Ronnie Sandagon, who was abducted in 2013; Joshua Bani, Joseph Bani and Hajan Terong, who were kidnapped in 2014; and Jerel Pepito, Eddie Reubal, Marcial España, Arvin Sabaduquia, Rufino Bustillo and Michelle Tolentino Panes.

Except for Panes, Reubal and España, who were separately freed in 2014, there was no update yet about the status of the rest of the Filipino victims. INQ