By Nonoy E. Lacson Zamboanga City — The provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa) including the city of Zamboanga and the peninsula or Region 9, are mired in a long history of terrorism. Civilians and law enforcement authorities have suffered from violence. Fear and anxiety reign in the hearts of the people. Properties were destroyed and lives of people were disrupted. The atrocities were perpetrated by lawless individuals including teenagers who have joined the bandits, or terror groups, some only nine years old. Many of these bandits and terrorists have quietly returned to the fold of the law. More than 177 members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in BaSulTa have recently surrendered to the government and renounced their previous terroristic activities. One of them is 18-year-old Habib. Habib was raised in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan and became involved with the ASG at a young age. He was a 14-year-old Grade 4 pupil when some members of the ASG asked him to buy food in the public market. It became his daily routine before going to school and after classes. “Inuutusan ako ng mga Abu sa Baguindan na bumili sa palengke, araw -araw na yun, hanggang sa hindi na ako pinauwi sa amin (The Abus would order me to buy food for them in the market every day. One day, they did not allow me to go back home anymore),” Habib said. With regular access to the ASG’s camp in Barangay Baguindan in Tipo-Tipo, he became a full-fledged member of the group. The ASG’s Baguindan camp was recently overrun by government troops. Monthly pay Habib said ASG members receive a monthly allowance. “Sa loob ng kampo, ‘pag single binibigyan ng P5,000 kada buwan, ‘pag pamilyado naman P10,000 – hindi na mahirapan maghanap ng pera (Inside the camp, if you are single, you will be given P5,000. If you are married, you will get P10,000. It was an easy way to earn money),” Habib confessed. Habib is the fifth of eight siblings. His father died when he was six and his mother went overseas to work when he became an ASG member. “Wala na akong tatay, wala rin dito ang nanay ko, ang mga kapatid ko nag-asawa na, kaya mas okay na sa akin sumali sa ASG,” Habib said. Habib recalls many experiences inside the camp during his four years as a member of the ASG. He was generally assigned as an errand boy who helps in the day to day needs of the combatants – he buys food, he cooks, and he helps in the preparation of weapons before an operation. Kidnapping He was once assigned to abduct a woman from Tipo-Tipo proper. “Kung may mga kini-kidnap, dadaan ng Zamboanga. May tao na mag-aantay sa port pa lang ng Zamboanga, tapos iba naman may maghihintay sa Isabela. Pagdating ng Isabela ididiretso sa Lamitan, saka pupunta ng Tipo-Tipo. At kami naghihintay sa Baguindan (We conduct our kidnapping by passing through Zamboanga, there will be members waiting at the port of Zamboanga while some will wait in Isabela. From Isabela, the kidnap victim will be brought to Lamitan, then Tipo-Tipo. We will be waiting for them in Baguindan),” he said. When asked how ASG members treat the victims, Habib said: “Nung ako ang sumundo sa babaeng na-kidnap, gusto ko siya patakasin kasi kawawa lang, pero sinabihan ako ng mga matatanda kong kasama na kapag pinatakas ko, ako daw ang papatayin ng grupo (When I went to pick up the female kidnap victim, I wanted to let her escape because I pitied her but I was told by the elder members of the group that if I would allow her to escape, the group will kill me),” he said. Beheadings Habib, along with his young peers, also witnessed ASG leaders beheading hostages inside their camps. He added that the group’s leaders would first ask for volunteers among them to do the beheading. “Maraming beses na ako nakakita ng pinupugutan na hostage kapag walang mabigay na ransom, kasi kapag may pupugutan na kailangan namin manood lahat, magagalit ang commander kapag hindi namin pinanood (I have witnessed so many beheadings of hostages who failed to come up with the ransom money. We were obliged by our commander to watch the beheadings. He gets angry if we don’t watch),” Habib explained. “Kung magpapakita ka ng awa sa kanila (hostages), o ng takot sa mangyayari, ikaw ang pagdidiskitahan nila (If you by any chance show pity or fear, they will pounce on you),” he narrated. He said the commanders, especially the senior ones, would usually do the beheading when hostages cannot pay for their ransom money. Escape after combat Habib said he was also assigned in combat against government soldiers in 2016 in Baguindan. “Kapag may baril ka, matapang ka (If you have a gun, then you are fearless).” Habib said he led a violent life full of uncertainties until he yearned for a decent and peaceful life as a civilian. “Gusto ko tumakas pero hindi ko alam kung papaano kasi natatakot din ako (I wanted to escape but I didn’t know how because I was afraid),” he added. He said he saw an opportunity to escape during his last participation in an encounter against government troops in Baguindan last year. “Pagkatapos ng giyera sa Baguindan, yun na yung pagkakataon na naisip ko na tumakas at sumuko (After the Baguindan gunbattle, I found a way to escape and surrender),” he said. “Pagod na kasi ako sa buhay sa loob ng kampo, gusto ko ng mag-aral, nami-miss ko na ang mga kapatid ko, gusto kong lumabas na hindi natatakot at kailangang magtago (I am tired of living in a camp. I want to go back to school. I miss my siblings. I want to live once and for all without fear and without hiding),” he said teary-eyed. Homecoming When he finally reached home, he saw that his mother had just returned from her overseas employment for good. “Ang saya saya ko nung nakita ko nanay ko na nasa bahay na, kasama ang mga kapatid ko (I was so happy to see my mother at home with my brothers and sisters),” he said. “Kaya sumuko na talaga ako para mas maging maayos ang buhay namin lalo na andyan na ang nanay ko (This is why I surrendered so I can live a normal life, especially now that my mother is home),” he said. He said he wants to go back to school and become a policeman. “Pag nakapagtapos na ako gusto ko maging pulis para ako naman ang po-protekta sa taga-Basilan province laban sa mga Abu Sayyaf (I want to become a policeman so that one day, I will be the one to protect the people of Basilan from the Abu Sayyaf),” he said smiling. Today, Habib is one of the returnees who underwent psychosocial interventions, debriefing, dialogue with the military and government officials, and was given a brief course on farming to help them reform and start a new life. Abu sub-leaders The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) records showed that ASG sub-leader Sansibar Bensio is operating in Panamao, Omar and Luuk. He is a trusted man of the late ASG sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya and was named sub group leader of the ASG this month. Bensio has eight followers and was involved in the kidnapping and safekeeping of Indonesian kidnap victims who were released last 2016 and is listed No. 1 in the Periodic Status Report of government enemies. AFP-WestMinCom record also shows that Bensio was last monitored being involved in an encounter with soldiers last Jan. 31, 2017 at vicinity Barangay Pugad Manaul and Bulangsih both located in Panamao, Sulu. Habib Munap Binda, on the other hand, is another ASG sub-leader based in Talipao, Sulu and is operating in Kalingalang Caluang, same Province. His group was deleted from the watch list following years of inactivity. His group was also once known to be actively participating and supporting sub-leader Misaya.