PRESIDENT Duterte gave a P2 million reward to military units in Tawi-Tawi involved in the rescue of four Indonesian kidnap victims and the killing and arrest of their five captors last March.
AFP chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana handed the monetary reward to the units, which he said will improve the morale of the operating troops, during a visit to Tawi-Tawi last Sunday.
Sobejana also conferred medals to troops for their role in the operation, including Col. Nestor Narag, deputy commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, who received the Distinguished Navy Cross.
“It’s for the entire operation,” Sobejana said of the reward.
Five Abu Sayyaf men were transporting four Indonesian kidnap victims to Tawi-Tawi from Sulu when one of their two boats was battered and sank by big waves off South Ubian town in Tawi-Tawi.
Responding government troops rescued three of the kidnap victims, identified as Arizal Kasta Miran, Arsad Bin Dahlan, and Andi Riswanto. Abu Sayyaf sub-leaders Sahud Salasim and Injimar Mangkabong were also rescued and arrested.
The occupants of the other boats fled to Languyan town, also in Tawi-Tawi, where they were encountered twice by government troopers days later.
The fighting led to the rescue of a fourth Indonesian, 15-year-old Mohd Khairuldin, and the killing of three other Abu Sayyaf members, identified as sub-leader Majan Sahidjuan, alias Apo Mike, and two others named alias Long and Darus.
The four were among five Indonesians abducted by the Abu Sayyaf on January 17, 2020 off Tambisan in Malaysia. The fifth victim, La Baa, was killed by Abu Sayyaf members while trying to escape during an encounter between their captors and government troops in Patikul, Sulu on September 29 last year.
