17 Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members were sentenced to life imprisonment for the Sipadan Island kidnappings in Malaysia, 24 years after it its occurrence.
On Monday, October 21, the Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) convicted 17 Filipino Islamic militants for kidnapping for ransom 19 foreigners and two Filipinos in a resort in Malaysia.
According to the document, 21 people were held at gunpoint at the said resort in April 2000, after the Abu Sayyaf militants traveled by speedboats to reach the area. They were armed with assault rifles and machetes when they commenced the raid.
The ASG members took the hostages to Talipao, Sulu, where they held them captive; with the Court indicating that an illegal detention, which went on for several months, happened in the area. Hence, the Taguig RTC Branch 157 found the members guilty of 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
“(B)ased on the evidence presented, there is no question that accused and their cohorts were complicit in the joint purpose and design of the kidnapping of the hostages for the purpose of extorting ransom money from them or from the their respective families and government,” the Court said.
Due to this, 17 of the ASG members were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of pardon after 30 years. The militants are sentenced to reclusion perpetua for each count.
Additionally, they are required to pay their victims Php 300,000 as moral, civil, and exemplary damages.
The Court found the following ASG members guilty of the said crime:
- Hilarion del Rosario Santos III alias Ahmed Islam Santos/Ahmed Santos
- Redendo Cain Dellosa
- Alkaiser Baladji
- Omar Galo
- Muner Jumalla
- Najer Ibrahim
- Jahid Susukan
- Ben Mahar Abraham
- Said Massud
- Hajid Elhano
- Jundam Jawad
- Akjunib Hashim
- Michael Pajiji
- Alhadi Aylani
- Dhad Suraidi
- Julkipli Salih
- Saltimar Sali
The country, including the United States, considers the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization. During its peak in the 90s, the group carried out bombings and kidnappings for ransom.
Two of the ASG leaders who were convicted are part of the United Nations terrorism blacklist, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
