OCTAGENARIAN BEATEN UP BY 2 ABUS SURVIVES

TAGBILARAN CITY— Porferio Cosenas spoke as if he was being strangled. He walked slowly since his groin was still aching.

Cosenas, 82, also known as Lolo Peryong, suffered from severe beating in the hands of two Abu Sayyaf bandits, minutes before they were killed by soldiers on Pangangan Island, Calape town, last May 15.

His back, chest and groin remained painful even if it had been two weeks since he was beaten up.

On Tuesday, Lolo Peryong was accompanied by his daughter, Rodelita Granaderos, to Tagbilaran City for checkup. They also dropped by radio station dyRD to air an appeal for financial assistance from the government to buy medicines for his wounds.

Granaderos, 49, said she could not afford to buy the medicines her father needed.

Police reports said the elderly chanced upon Abu Ubayda, who was armed with an M-16 rifle, while he was trying to escape from government troopers.

He tried to fight Ubayda off using his bolo but was overpowered and beaten up.

Ubayda was later killed by government troops, along with his companion, Abu Asis, in Barangay Lawis on Pangangan Island.

The two were with Abu Sayyaf members who tried to set up a base in Barangay Napo, Inabanga town, on April 10. All were killed in separate operations.

According to Lolo Peryong, the two attacked him and even threatened to kill him.

One of the armed men hit the elderly with the rifle butt while the other jumped on top of him and choked him.