TWO Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders, one of them designated by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) as a terrorist, and 19 of their followers surrendered in Sulu on Sunday the military reported yesterday.
The sub-leaders — Majid Said alias Amah Pattit, and Jamiri Jauhari alias Jamiri — and their men surrendered to the Army’s 1103rd Brigade, under Brig. Gen. Benjamin Batara Jr.
Batara later presented the 21 Abu Sayyaf men to Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimoni, commander of both the 11th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Sulu, and to Mayor Kabir Hayudini of Patikul town.
The Abu Sayyaf members turned over seven M14 rifles and three M16 rifles during their surrender, said Lt. Col. Abdurahman Jainuddin, acting spokesman of AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).
Said was among five Abu Sayyaf five sub-leaders tagged by the ATC as terrorists in May last year, through Resolution No. 32.
The four others are Basaron Arok, Ellam Sajirin, Mura Asgali Kayawan and Tawakkal Bayali.
Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, acting Westmincom commander, said, “I’m very happy with this development. We were anticipating this already because of the well-integrated civil and military strategy of the campaign plan (against the Abu Sayyaf).
