THE province of Sulu, site of many kidnapping, beheading, and other atrocities committed by the Abu Sayyaf, is now free of the terrorist group.
The declaration came as no surprise as the 19 municipalities of the province have earlier declared their areas Abu Sayyaf-free.
The declaration of the province as Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG)-free was made on Wednesday by the Sulu Provincial Task Force in Ending Local Armed Conflict, during the third quarter meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council in Patikul town.
The task force and the council are composed of the military, police, and local government officials and other stakeholders. Both bodies are headed by Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan.
“It is my great pleasure and immense pride to declare the province of Sulu as ASG-free,” said Tan during the ceremony.
Tan said the development “marks a significant accomplishment in our never-ending quest for stability, security, and peace.”
Abu Sayyaf members have perpetrated numerous atrocities in the province in the past, like suicide bombings, aside from kidnapping and beheading of hostages.
In April 2000, ASG members raided the Sipadan diving resort in Malaysia and kidnapped 21 mostly Caucasian tourists. The victims were brought to Sulu where they were later released after payment of ransom.
Many other kidnap victims, including foreigners, were held in Sulu. Some of them ended up getting beheaded by the ASG which is included in the US list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The ASG was also behind a number of bombing incidents in Sulu, including that at the Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo on Jan. 27, 2019, which left 21 people dead and over 100 others injured.
“We’ve had many encounters (with ASG members), leaving many soldiers dead,” said Maj. Gen. Ignatus Patrimonio, commander of the military’s Joint Task Force Sulu.
Patrimonio said the military has not monitored any ASG activity recently. “As far as sightings and recruitment, it’s zero,” he said.
Patrimonio said they have information that members of the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu have fled to Basilan province where the ASG was founded in the 1990s.
On the declaration of Sulu as ASF-free, Patrimonio said it is “a significant milestone as it marked the collective victory of the local government units together with various sectors that work together towards attaining peace and security in Sulu.”
