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Friday, March 29, 2024

Troops arrest Sulu village chief for coddling Sayyaf

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THE military on Sunday said it arrested a village chief of Talipao town in Sulu through a warrant of arrest issued by a court for allegedly coddling members of the Abu Sayyaf group involved in the kidnapping of three foreigners and a Filipina in Samal Island last year.

An official report from the Western Mindanao Command identified the barangay chairperson as Fauzia Abdulla of Baranagay Niyog Sangahan who was arrested Saturday at 11:15 a.m. during law enforcement operation in Indanan town.

The military said Abdulla has a standing warrant issued and was arrested for kidnapping with homicide (Criminal Case Number 113-2016) issued by Judge Dax Gonzaga Xenos of the 11th Judicial Regional Branch 34 of Panabo City.

It said the charges stemmed from the abduction of John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, both Canadians; Kjartan Sekkingstad, a Norwegian; and Marites Flor, a Filipina and girlfriend of Hall.

The terrorists beheaded Ridsdel and then Hall after their families failed to deliver to them a P300-million ransom for each of the victim for their safe release. The ASG first demanded P1-billion ransom for each of the three foreigners. 

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After several months of captivity, Flor was released and on September this year, through efforts made by President Rodrigo Duterte, Sekkingstad was also released amid report of millions of pesos payment to the ASG.

Soon after that Duterte ordered the military to eliminate the ASG, the bandit group rejected Duterte’s calls for surrender.

“The [village chief] was reportedly coddling ASG members by providing sanctuary, information network and food; and most often involved in managing and providing leadership especially in decision making inside the ASG. Abdulla was brought by arresting troops to Sulu PPO for proper documentation and processing,” the military said about the arrest of Abdulla.

The military considers the arrest of Abdulla “a big blow” to the ASG leadership because their “information network, command and decision making will be severely affected with the arrest of a major figure inside their leadership.” 

Joint Task Force Sulu commander Brigadier Arnel Dela Vega confirmed the arrest of Abdulla.

“The arrest of Abdulla is a product of intensified cooperation between the people of Sulu and our soldiers and policemen in protecting local communities from the scourge of terrorism. Our soldiers will continue to conduct combat operations to destroy the ASG and rescue the remaining hostages,” he said.

In the military’s scoreboard, 44 ASG members have been killed in Sulu since July this year while the government suffered 15 fatalities. Both sides incurred scores of wounded.

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