In my preceding entry in this four part series, "Part 2," I discussed just how the media invention known as the "Abu Sayyaf Urban Terrorist Group came into existence. From Abu Sayyaf's 1988 inception with founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, to his death at the hands of the PNP SAF, or, Philippine National Police Special Action Force, in 1998, to the different factions doing battle to claim the Abu Sayyaf's empire of dust. Likewise, I described how Abdurajak's younger brother Khadaffy tried to lead the group without much success, and how a faction under Amilhamsa Antal Sali Jr., better known by the moniker "Kumander Kosovo," ended up operating in Zamboanga City on Mainland Mindanao. After Kosovo's downfall and incarceration in New Bilibid Prison in Metro Manila's Muntilupa City on Luzon (he died on the second day of a two day prison uprising there that he led on March 14th and 15th of 2005), his small operation came under the control of Zamboanga City native Amiljamsa Ajijul, known by the nom de guerre, "Abu Alex Alvarez." Noting how Ajijul was mortally wounded during a police operation in September of 2006, that killed his father Andalul as well, I discussed how even this tiny group of no more than nine members factionalised as well.
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Shortly after Alihamja Ajijul and his father Andalul were killed in 2006, younger son Abdullah, known as "Abu Termiji," assumed control of what was by then an eight man extortion outfit wielding the "Abu Sayyaf" name strictly for show. What better way to get your point across than to sign your threatening letter with that most threatening of names, "Abu Sayyaf"? Unfortunately for Abu Termiji however, his chance to shine only lasted so long before his small group grew even smaller. In the interim between taking the reins of power eight months before, Abdullah had diversified into KFR, or Kidnap for Ransom, assisting the larger faction of Puruji "Boy Sapodek" Indama in the kidnapping of three public school teachers on the water between Zamboanga City's Barangay Arena Blanco, and that barangay's offshore island of Landang Guia on January 23rd, 2009.
The three kidnapped eachers:
1) Rafael Mayonado, age 22,
2) Janette de los Reyes, 27,
3) Quiozon Freires, 29,
were together with a fourth teacher and the boat's operator aboard a motorbanca- Philippine-speak for a motorised wooden skiff- travelling to Landang Guia Island, where all four taught at the island's public highschool, "Arena Blanco National Highschool- Landang Guia Annex." Less than two kilometers off of the coast of the city, they were overtaken by a faster boat carrying four BIAF gunmen from the 113 Base Command. The BIAF, or, Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces as the armed wing of the MILF is known, had been fed intelligence by none other than Puruji "Boy Sapodek" Indama, courtesy of Abdullah "Abu Termiji" Ijijul and his band of cretins.
The 113 Base Command, with operational control over the entire Zamboanga Peninsula and SOME of its offshore islets, is one of a few BIAF Base Commands that dips and dabbles in the KFR trade. Actually, the 113 is the leading BIAF formation in the kidnapping industry. Two sub-Kumanders control most of the kidnappings on the Zamboanga Peninsula:
1) Kamsa Asdanal, disowned by the MILF Central Committee, which claims he is a pirate, et cetera and so forth. Kamsa operates on the peninsula but has small camps on both Olutanga and Sacol Islands
2) Waning Abdusalam, headquartered in the municipality of Payao, in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, until the end of October, 2011, when the AFP, or, Armed Forces of the Philippines, captured his main camp in retaliation for his having had an AFP major and his wife both shot between the eyes and burned during an act of retaliation against Rural Transit Bus Lines, a bus company he has been terrorising for years.
The three teachers were kidnapped while the fourth was left aboard the motorbanca with the boat's operator as the BIAF changed course heading towards Olutanga Island off of Zamboanga Sibugay Province. The 113 Base Command then sold the three kidnsppto the BIAF's 114 Base Command, on Basilan, who then sold the three to the Abu Sayyaf's leading faction on Basilan, that of Puruji Indama so that although Indama planned the entire cqper. Although three more teachers had been kidnapped not long after, on March 13th, 2009, also by sub-Kumander Kamsa Asdanal of the 113 Base Command:
1) Jocelyn Enriquez, 43
2) Jocelyn Inion, 39
3) Noemi Mandi 34
Abdullah Ajijul and his small group had absolutely nothing to do with it. In any event, the small group found much greener pastures on Basilan, relocating there over the Summer of 2009, although four men soon grew tired of the constant life on the run and living in the rough. By July, Abdulkhalil Mallah had taken three men and said "Adios." In retrospect, at least for the short term, Mallah, who much preferred to be called "Ibni Acosta," must have been glad he had done so, for on November 18th, 2009, Abdullah Ajijul was killed in a firefight with the AFP in the municipality of Sumisip, as the AFP moved against the Abu Sayyaf in its on again- off again encampment in that town's Sitio Bakisong, in Barangay Cambug. What little remained of his group, three men including Abdullah's son, Ramjay Ijijul.
Abdulkahil Mallah didn't have much time to think deeply about such things because by the time his ex-leader met his own sad demise, Mallah had already been sitting on the IS-AFP hotseat for a solid month. As with those before him, it wasn't long before Abdulkhalil Mallah ran afoul of local authorities and with three of his fellow Abu Sayyaf guerillas,fled south. Instead of heading to Jolo Island as is the case with most Abu Sayyaf members who end up turning tail south, he led his men to the promised land of Tawi Tawi. There Mallah played house while dispatching followers to and fro between Tawi Tawi and Zamboanga City to keep the group's extortion ledgers current.
Still, eventually one of Mallah's followers ran afoul of the local powers that be in Tawi Tawi's capital of Bongao. On Saturday night, October 8th, 2009 Mallah and three of his men got into a brief but intense firefight in Bongao's Barangay Tubig Tanah. As the other side withdrew down Kalye Bisaya, in the adjacent barangay of Kasanyangan, Mallah had his men clear out all their belongings from their shared home in Sitio Kasulutan and set off for the Bongao Municipal Pier. It was on the pier, as the Zamboanga City-bound ferry pulled up to the dock, that the AFP's MBLT-2- that same MBLT-2- recognised Mallah as the detachment's Marines provided security for the ferry arrival. With a serious wound above his collar bone Abdulkahil Mallah naturally attracted attention.
Charged with twenty-one counts of Kidnapping, Mallah got a free ride north but not on the ferry. Instead he was bundled aboard a Philippine Air Force (PAF) Huey (UH-1H) for a hop, skip, and a jump to Jolo City where he was then transferred to an AC-130 and shipped to IS-AFP Headquarters at AFP Headquarters, at Fort Bonifacio in Metro Manila's Quezon City. There Mallah enjoyed the hospitality that only the IS-AFP can provide as he was subjected to tactical interrogation. There Mallah would perhaps even feel lucky to have been tortured, considering what had happened to Abdullah Ajijul.
Back in Zamboanga City, Abdullah's son Ramjay began trying to salvage what was left of the family business, but alas, what is dead is dead, and what is buried is buried. While one can find an occasional arrest of an Abu Sayyaf member within the borders of Zamboanga City, it is usually only because the subject is transiting the city on their way to and from their homes in Basilann Jolo, or Tawi Tawi and Manila. After all, Zamboanga City IS the regional population centre and the only airport connecting with Manila for the Filipinos living in the three aforementioned island provinces of Mindanao. Of course extortion and KFR continues to plague the city just it has ever since the Subunan Tribesmen first arrived from Indonesia. It must be said that part of the activity is the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf, while most of the rest is split between the two aforementioned Base Commamds of the BIAF, the 113th and the 114th. Like Davao City far to the south, Zamboanga City is an "open city" in which anyone and everyone willing to engage in nefarious act can- and often does.
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In thr fourth and final part I will cover a recent event in Zamboanga City in which the authorities blamed the Abu Sayyaf Group Urban Terrorist Group, or ASG-UTG.
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