MANILA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Seven members of the Abu Sayyaf (ASG) surrendered to the Philippine military in Sulu, Mindanao on Monday due to alleged hardship and leadership problem within the movement, a military official said Tuesday.
Five of those who surrendered were followers of notorious Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Alhabsy Misaya, who is blamed by security officials as behind numerous kidnapping, and was slain by government forces in a firefight also in Sulu, on April 28.
The two other who yielded were both under the group of Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Tomas Idjas.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the military's Joint Task Force Sulu, said the seven surrendered to his task force around 12:35 p.m. on Monday in Luuk town, with assorted ammunition.
"During our custodial debriefing, they admitted that life is difficult inside, plus there is leadership vacuum in the ASG. They are suffering logistically and financially. What's happening, they said, is survival so they decided to return to the folds (of law)," said Sobejana.
Sobejana's task force has stepped up offensive against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu, in line with the military leadership's timetable to defeat the group within the first six months of the year.
Dozens of Abu Sayyaf have surrendered to the military over the past weeks in Sulu and in Basilan. Local military officials appealed to other Abu Sayyaf members to also surrender so they would be spared in the ongoing military offensive.
