FOURTEEN Abu Sayyaf bandits have surrendered to government authorities as they chose "a life of peace over hiding” amid the intensified combat operations against them in the province of Sulu, military officials announced.

The 14 Abu Sayyaf bandits surrendered Monday, Maarch 8, 2021, and were presented to Major General William Gonzales, 11th Infantry Division (ID) commander, at the 1101st Infantry Brigade headquarters at Bud Bayug in Samak village, Talipao, Sulu.

“These 14 people are from various age groups. One thing in common is that they have once gone astray but are now slowly going back on track. They yielded firearms including four M1 Garand rifles, two M16 rifles, a 7.62 G1 rifle and five pistols,” Gonzales said.

Brigadier General Antonio Bautista, 1101st Infantry Brigade commander, identified two of the 14 surrenderrers as Almudar Muhajiri, 26, a follower of Abu Sayyaf senior leader Radulan Sahiron and Warsib Hamja under a certain Abu Piting.

“Muhajiri was on our watch list for quite a long time. He was in hiding for four years before he came clean. He told me that he realized that he doesn't have a future in group of Radulan. He wants to live in peace and wanted to start a new life to be able to help his family” Bautista said.

Meanwhile, Hamja said he joined the Abu Sayyaf in 2014 and that he was wounded during the encounter with the military around 2016.

Since then, he never returned to the group but was always hiding from government forces.

Gonzales has assured the Abu Sayyaf surrenderers that they will receive assistance that they need. (SunStar Zamboanga)