3 Abu Sayyaf leaders yield

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Three Abu Sayyaf, one of them a commander carrying P1-million bounty for the capture, surrendered Wednesday to the military in Lamitan, Basilan as the troops continued its offensive against the bandits in the province.

This developed as combined police and military intelligence operatives captured another Abu Sayyaf member who was allegedly involved in the mass abduction of foreigners in Sipadan last year.

Army Col. Pedro Cesar Ramboanga, commander of the 102nd Army Brigade and Task Group Lighting, identified the trio who yielded Wednesday as Abdulajid Ngayah, Hadi Sabtali, both carrying bounty for their capture, and Lidjalin Sakandal.

The suspects are all residents of Lower Sinangkapan, a known Abu Sayyaf homeplace in Tuburan town.

Ramboanga, in a report to AFP Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, said Ngayah is carrying a P1-million bounty based on the Department of National Defense (DND) reward list, while Sabtali has a bounty of P150,000 for his capture.

Ramboanga also said the trio yielded three firearms, including two M16 Armalite and Garand rifles, when they surrendered at about 2 p.m. to the 18th Infnantry Batallion, 1st Light Armour Brigade and Joint Intelligence Task Force in Campo Uno, Lamitan town.

Meanwhile, an Abu Sayyaf member who was involved in the Sipadan hostage drama last year was captured by joint police and military intelligence operatives also Wednesday reportedly casing in the downtown of Zamboanga City.

Chief Inspector Jose Bayan Gucela, Zamboanga City police intelligence chief, identified the captured bandit as Gaber Said, who is carrying a reward of P150,000 for his arrest.

"Said is one of those Abu Sayyaf who took part in the Sipadan kidnapping," Gucela said.

As this developed, the military scattered thousands of wanted posters of Aldam Tilao alias Abu Sabaya bearing all angles of his facial features with and without the scarf and shades trademark.

"Many people now are getting more intersted to play this game of millionaire with Sabaya as the target," Lt. Col. Fredesvindo Covarrubias, chief of the military’s Civil Relation Service (CRS) for Mindanao said.

Covarrubias said they want to get familiar with Sabaya’s new features and that the people should be aware that the bandit leader is now totally different compared before.

He said Sabaya has a birthmark on the left side of his neck and both temples of his head is a little bit dented.

Covarrubias expressed optimism about the capture of Sabaya following the series of arrest of his followers in Basilan and in Zamboanga City.

"We are getting score against them (Abu Sayyaf), they are now like rats looking for holes," the CRS commander added.

Meanwhile, 29 lost command Moro rebels, led by a notorious kidnapper who had a P500,000 reward on his head, surrendered to authorities yesterday in Kidapawan City after six years of preying on wealthy residents in North Cotabato.

The group, led by Gani Saligan, were "lost command" members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and had been implicated in various crimes, including robbery and extortion.

Saligan said he and his followers were jointly convinced to return to the fold of law by Senior Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta, who is the police intelligence director of Region 12, North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol and Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza. — With John Unson