THE number of Abu Sayyaf bandits who surrendered to the government have reached 117 since January this year as three more bandits have surrendered in Sulu province last Sunday, October 1, the military reported Wednesday.

Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, Joint Task Force Sulu commander, identified the three surrenderers as Jimil Inggan, 25; Madjidul Asari, 47; and, Alex Issan, 38.

Sobejana said the three Abu Sayyaf members, who yielded two Garand rifles, surrendered in the village of Bonbon, Patikul town, to the troops of the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion headed by Lieutenant Colonel Jaran Abdula.

“Inggan and his companions are currently undergoing custodial debriefing facilitated by our intelligence operatives,” Sobejana said.

Of the 117 Abu Sayyaf surrenderers, 65 surrendered in Basilan, 29 in Sulu, 21 in Tawi-Tawi, and two in Zamboanga City.

Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez Jr., Wesmincomm commander, said they will gladly welcome the bandit-surrenderers “as we prepare them to live in the mainstream” of the society.

“Rest assured that our Joint Task Forces will continue to keep guard as they sustain the conduct of combat and intelligence operations in their joint area of operations,” he added.