Monday, June 11, 2012

Abu Sayyaf Armed Contacts for the First Quarter of 2012, Part I: Assasination of a Marine Officer in Zamboanga City

First Lieutenant Francisco R.Sayoc was enjoying a rare visit to Zamboanga City. The CMO (Civil Military Operations) for MBLT-3 (Marine Battalion Landing Team-3) had recently arrived from his posting on Jolo Island, one of Mindanao's offshore provinces, and had quickly requisitioned a Marine jeep and driver to chaufer him, his wife Sukran Sahiban Sayoc and their daughter. After all, what good was it if an officer didnt exercise his perogative now and again?

On the morning of January 28th, 2012, Sayoc devoted a couple of hours towourards taking his wife and daughter shopping. Having his driver head into Barangay Santa Maria, and angle into a parking space in front of the Hapi Conveniece Store on Salvador Street, Sayoc handed a fistful of pesos to his wife and watched her and their daughter happily enter the store. As he sat in the front passenger seat the young Marine officer probably never even noticed a motorcycle pull alongside the rear of his jeep. As the store's CCTV (Closed Circuit TV) recorded what was about to take place, Sayoc and his driver were deep in conversation.

A man riding tandem on the back of the motorcycle quickly stepped around the jeep and onto the sidewalk. Quickly making his way towards the front seat he pulled a 45 caliber pistol from his waistband and from point blank range pulled the trigger. Running back to the idling motorcycle the gunman quickly hopped back onto the rear and wrapped his arms around the waist of the driver as the bike peeled out and drove away at a high rate of speed.

From inside the store First Lieutenant Sayoc's wife and daughter witnessed screaming onlookers gathered around the jeep. Running outside both screamed at the driver to take them to the nearest hospital. Speeding through city streets the jeep finally arrived at Western Mindanao Medical Center only to have First Lieutenant Francisco R.Sayoc declared dead on arrival.

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