By NONOY LACSON
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Armed men believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) barged into the residence of Talipao’s town mayor and took hostage his half-sister and her mother.
A military report reaching this city reveal that about 2:20 a.m. yesterday, armed men barged into the house of mayor Nezar Tulawie located at the boundary of barangay Kandaga and Kuhaw in Talipao, Sulu and took Edelyn Tulawie (half-sister of mayor Tulawie) and Edelyn’s mother, Addang Tulawie.
The armed men immediately escaped towards the village of Kamuntayan, Talipao, Sulu, according to some members of the household who witnessed the incident.
Police and military authorities immediately launched hot pursuit operations against the suspects and were also joined by members of the Talipao Barangay Police Action Team in coordination with the 501st Brigade in the area particularly in the village of Sinuman.
JTF-Sulu also said all military intelligence units in the area were alerted and ordered them to monitor the areas where the victims were brought for possible rescue operations.
Meantime, – two out of five Maute-ISIS members which were reported killed in an encounter with the government forces Sunday in the boundary of Tubaran and Pagayawan towns in Lanao del Sur were already known.
They are identified as Allan Alamid and Amin Macarimbang which names were not cleared whether its genuine or an alias.
However, Joint Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander Colonel Romeo Brawner, Jr., clarified that these names are based on the report by the civilians in the area. As of this time, the troops have not seen nor recovered any human remains of the five that were killed, he said.
The military operation has started last Friday against the remnants of Maute-ISIS led by Owayda Benito Marohombsar alias Abu Dar which was appointed emir or leader of ISIS following the death of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon at the height of the Marawi siege that happen last year.
That even the war has already ended, they continually recruit new members especially the young individuals whose parents have died in the Marawi crisis.
Meanwhile, some men were in the military custody after they were invited for questioning during the encounter of the military troops and Maute-ISIS in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur.
According to Brawner, they are still in the process of clarifying their identities of whether or not they are internally displaced persons or an evacuee.
They have also checked if these people have standing arrest warrants or pending cases, he said. (With a report from Bonita Ermac)
