Palace praises AFP for Coast Guard men’s escape from Abu Sayyaf

If not for a military operation launched to save them, two Coast Guard personnel would not have been able to escape from the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, Malacañang said on Thursday.

“We commend the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Task Force Sulu for conducting operations that have led to the fleeing from captivity of two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel namely, Seaman First Class Rodlyn Pagaling and Seaman Second Class Gringo Villaruz,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

“With the support of the citizenry, government troopers have tracked and raided the known lairs of the Abu Sayyaf Group,” he added.

Pagaling and Villaruz, together with village chief Rodolfo Boligao, were abducted on May 4 at the barangay hall of Aliguay village in Dapitan City.

In June, the three were seen blindfolded in a video uploaded on video sharing site Youtube.

READ: Abu Sayyaf captives urge gov’t to save them from beheading

Pagaling called on the government to bail them out and pay for the ransom money requested by the bandit group. Abu Sayyaf, who threatened to behead the three men, reportedly asked for P10 million.

But last week, Boligao’s headless body was recovered in Sulu. The head was found later with a piece of paper with the words: “Rodolfo E. Buligao, Brgy Chairman of Brgy Aliguay Island, Dapitan City.”

READ: Abu Sayyaf beheads Dapitan village chair

At the time, the military said it was not certain of the fate of Villaluz and Pagaling.

On Thursday morning, however, Navy Commander Roy Vincent Trinidad said the two were safe after escaping their captors during a two-hour gun battle between the AFP and Abu Sayyaf.

READ: 2 kidnapped Coast Guard men flee Abu Sayyaf amid military assault

“According to the AFP, military operations are ongoing to secure the safety of other hostages being held captive by the ASG,” Coloma said. Kristine Angeli Sabillo/RC