| 200 Sayyaf men turn
selves in this week By
Faber Concepcion
ZAMBOANGA City—At
least 200 extremist Abu Sayyaf members are expected to surrender to the military this week
as the military intensified its assault against the bandits in the hinterlands of Sulu
province.
Executive
Secretary Ronaldo Zamora yesterday told Muslim rebels holding five hostages to surrender
unconditionally, warning that the military would not stop an assault until the rebel group
is destroyed.
Military officials
expect many Abu Sayyaf guerrillas to turn themselves in because of fatigue and hunger from
the military assault, now in its 26th day on Jolo island.
“They should
surrender but they should not impose any conditions because no condition will be accepted,”
Zamora said.
At least 20
guerrillas, including a commander, have surrendered to military officials in Jolo this
week.
The Abu Sayyaf is
still holding three Malaysians, an American and a Filipino hostage.
A group of five
rebels who surrendered Sunday said their companions were tired and lacked food and
ammunition and were thinking of surrendering, military officials said.
Sulu Vice Governor
Hadji Munib Estino told THE MANILA TIMES that the bandits turned themselves in through
Panglina Estino municipal Mayor Hadji Abbas “Maas Bawang” Estino.
Estino, who was in
Zamboanga yesterday, left for Panglima Estino to receive the more or less 200 Abu Sayyaf
bandits from Luuk, Panamao and Talipao towns.
Surrender
feelers
The bandits had
earlier yielded assorted firearms on the day they sent surrender feelers, according to
Estino, the chief negotiator seeking the release of American hostage Jeffrey Schilling and
Roland Ullah.
He said most of
the rebels were to be presented to him yesterday in preparation for the official and
formal turnover to Task Group Charlie under the Task Force Trident based in the province.
--with AP
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