PAGADIAN CITY – The Philippine Army said it has 3 Islamic militants in custody after they surrendered to soldiers in the Muslim province of Lanao del Sur in Mindanao.
Captain Clint Antipala, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said the trio are members of the so-called Dawlah Islamiah and the Maute group which laid siege to Marawi City last year that left hundreds of people dead.
He said the militants surrendered to the 51st Infantry Battalion in the village of Pawak in Saguiaran town on Friday afternoon. “The surenderees brought along with them and presented their firearms to Lieutenant Colonel Gremel Brual in the battalion headquarters. The three were welcomed and accepted through a simple ceremony,” Antipala said.
Major General Roseller Murillo, a regional army commander, also urged other militants to surrender peacefully. “We are willing to accept surenderees and encourage others to return to the mainstream society. Their surrender is significant and we hope this would inspire other members to do so. Rest assured that we will take care of their welfare,” he said.
Murillo and Antipala did not give additional details or what led to the surrender of the militants or their names. (Mindanao Examiner)
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