Security officials have shifted their strategy in the campaign to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), focusing now on the effort to reduce the capability of the bandit group to recruit new members.

Director General Jesus Verzosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), expressed belief that preventing new members from joining the group of the ASG would result to the gradual death of the group which gained prominence for kidnap-for-ransom activities and bombing operations across the country.

Police intelligence officials revealed that the number of ASG has already been reduced to merely 400 over the years but said that the group still poses a serious threat to national security.

“The ASG is divided into sub-groups, they might be launching either illegal activities as a whole or illegal activities per group," said Verzosa.

“So really we have to account to all of them and maybe we can look at the causes how we can reduce incoming new members if ever there will be," he added.

For his part, Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said another stategy they are employing is to run after the remaining leaders of the ASG who are based in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.