Military: Abus engaged in illegal drug trade

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The military yesterday expressed belief the Abu Sayyaf bandit group is engaged in the illegal drug trade to support its terrorism activities in Mindanao.

The military said the bandits are using shabu to keep themselves alert at all times.

Col. Rodrigo Gregorio, spokesman for the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS), said former Abu Sayyaf hostages have told the military that the bandits were using shabu.

Gregorio said former Indonesian captive Herman Bin Manggak revealed during a debriefing that five to seven bandits who guarded him used shabu.

Herman said he was nearly rescued thrice by government troopers during clashes, in which he noticed that the bandits – who where high on methamphetamine – were acting like they were merely playing games.

The military said its ground units shared the same observation, saying most of the young bandits appeared to be under the influence of illegal drugs.

Troopers had recovered drug paraphernalia from the camps they overran and personal belongings of slain bandits.

The military said the bandits offer illegal drugs to convince the youth to join the group.

Gregorio said reports showed that bandits who fought it out with government troops were mostly young recruits.

“These new recruits were most probably high on drugs, particularly shabu, as evidenced by paraphernalia recovered from their bodies and from their lairs.”

“They may have been given shabu for free and later on recruited once they are addicted to it. Reports also indicated that money generated from shabu is being used to finance the Abu Sayyaf daily operations.”

Gregorio said the proliferation of drugs in Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu is believed to be connected with the group in cahoots with big drug lords.

In Sulu, several anti-drug operations by joint Philippine National Police-Armed Forces of the Philippines troops resulted in drug hauls and deaths of some suspects and soldiers, he said.

The latest fatality in the drug war in Sulu was PO2 Tirso Montalba, 27, of the 24th Special Action Company of the Special Action Force.

Last Saturday, joint PNPAFP forces conducted an antiillegal drug operation in Barangay Kaunayan, Patikul, Sulu resulting in a gunbattle.

The suspected drug dealer Anuddin Akiran Daharani, 38, fired the first shot and killed Montalba. Daharani was later killed in the firefight while troops recovered high- powered guns and drug paraphernalia.

In Zamboanga City, another Abu Sayyaf member, Arnisar Dangsani Ismaluddin, was arrested by police in a drug sting on Tuesday.

In Metro Manila, several Abu Sayyaf men involved in the drug trade were also arrested.

Rody won’t condone Abu acts

President Duterte said he would rather engage the Abu Sayyaf in a war than condone their brutal acts like decapitating hostages whose families cannot afford to pay ransom.

“You kill people for money and if there is no payment, you just kill them like chickens and goats. Mahirap iyan (it’s hard),” Duterte said in a speech in front of the Filipino community in Hanoi yesterday.

“I would never agree to peace talks that would include the Abu Sayyaf. Either you leave them out or walang istorya (no story). I’d rather fight. As a matter of principle, I’d rather fight,” he said.

Duterte said he does not want to offend Islam, but as long as he is President there will be no peace talks that would include the Abu Sayyaf.