UPDATED -- Seaman First Class Rod Allain Pagaling and Seaman Second Class Gringo Villaruz escaped separately from their Abu Sayyaf captors early Thursday morning, August 20, after hundreds of Philippine Army Scout Rangers stormed the terrorists’ base in Sulu, the military said.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Captain Rowena Muyuela said Pagaling fell into a small ravine as he ran from his captors who were then engaged in a fierce firefight with soldiers in Barangay Buanza, Indanan town in Sulu island.
“Pagaling was a bit weak when he turned up at the nearest military outpost,” Muyuela said.
She said Pagaling and Villaruz made their separate escapes, reaching frontline troops about an hour and a half from each other.
Villaruz reached safety at about 7 a.m. Thursday while Pagaling was recovered around 8:30 a.m.
By Thursday noon, the two were already en route to Zamboanga City where they would take a plane to Manila.
The Army 1st Scout Ranger Battalion attacked the terrorist base Wednesday in an effort to rescue the two Coast Guard personnel who were being threatened with beheading as well as rescue the bandit group’s other foreigner hostages.
The Scout Rangers were part of Joint Task Force Group Sulu that launched a massive operation Wednesday that reportedly killed 15 Abu Sayyaf bandits.
Thirty-year-old Pagaling and Villaruz were kidnapped along with Robert Bulagao, village chief of Aliguay Island off Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte last May 4.
Ransom
On May 11, the Abu Sayyaf contacted Pagaling’s long-time partner, Judith Pradia, and Pagaling’s eldest sister Joy and demanded a P300-million ransom.
The ransom demand was subsequently brought down to P50 million, then P3 million but the bandits nevertheless insisted the family pay an initial down payment of P50,000 supposedly for “board and lodging” expenses.
The Abu Sayyaf beheaded Bulagao last week to prove their point and posted the video on YouTube which went viral.
Pagaling said he was worried he will be beheaded soon after Bulagao.
“When gunfire rang out as close as 15 meters from us, I thought it was my opportunity to survive so I ran away in the confusion,” he said.
Pagaling said the Abu Sayyaf gunmen are still holding two other Malaysians and several others as hostages.
Brigadier General Allan Arrojado, commander of the Joint Task Group, said the fighting that was so intense that government troops had to fire 105mm artillery to support the rangers.
He said they believed the Abu Sayyaf, which has broken into several factions, is still holding 10 foreigners as hostages in Sulu.
Arrojado said the military will continue with their operations to free the other hostages.
Relieve
Meanwhile, Joy said the family feels relieved that the ordeal is over.
Joy, who acted as the family’s negotiator with the bandits, said they were anxious after news of Bulagao’s beheading broke and said she even received a text message warning that their brother’s beheading would come next should the family fail to come up with the ransom demand.
“Ano, gusto n’yo sunod na kapatid n’yo (You want your brother to be next?),” Joy quoted the text message coming from one of the bandits.
“We are totally relieved,” Joy told reporters Thursday,” Our prayers were answered.”
Pradia, the former Abu Sayyaf captive’s long-time partner and the mother of his three-year-old daughter Allaina, said she had been praying the rosary every evening for her partner’s safety.
Pradia said with Pagaling’s safe return, the wedding originally planned for May 25 will finally push through.
“I haven’t thought of what I’ll do to welcome him,” Pradia said.
“Right now I am just overjoyed,” she said.
Pradia, Allaina, and Joy will fly to Manila today to be with Pagaling.
The two Coast Guard men are en route to Manila where they will undergo medical tests and psychosocial debriefing. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex/AP)