MANILA – Soldiers recovered Sunday the decapitated body and the head of an Army sergeant earlier abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu.
Brig Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu confirmed the beheading of S/Sgt Anni Siraji, a Tausug whom the government had been using to engage the communities in the Sulu area. Siraji was cited for persuading the civilians to refuse any further support for the ASG.
His body was found 3pm Sunday and was being readied at a hospital morgue for loading on a Navy boat so he can be quickly brought home to his family. As a Muslim, Siraji has to be buried as soon as possible.
Asked when Siraji was likely killed, Sobejana said, “actually, based on our assessment [it’s been] three days [since]. The remains are in a state of decomposition. The head was 50 meters away from the body, and our assessment is, he was beheaded three days ago.”
Speaking partly in Filipino, the Army officer added, “It was hastily done because they were constantly moving as a result of our continuous operations.”
He said the ASG “beheaded him, then they attempted to bring the head, but eventually left it behind 50 meters on the slope, [the] slope area.”
The body was found face down on the ground and there was no attempt to even partly hide or bury it. “You could really see it was done very hastily, meaning, they were running away from us,” he added.
The cadaver and head were found in an area in Upper Taglibi in Patikul town, near the site that had seen encounters between the 32nd Infantry Battalion of the Army.
Siraji was abducted April 20 in Barangay Igasan in Patikul.
The Army tapped its extensive network in the communities – civilians who have turned against the ASG and are cooperating with the government – to track down Siraji and his captors, Sobejana said.
“We condemn these barbaric acts of the Abu Sayyaf,” stressed Sobejana, pointing out that the ASG did not even care if they killed a fellow Tausug like Siraji, whom he described as engaged in peace efforts. “Hindi ito combatant e, ginagamit namin to engage the stakeholders dahil kapareho nilang Tausug.”
He said the ASG apparently realized that the Army integree had “significantly contributed” to the effort to make the community deprive the Abu Sayyaf of support. “The ASG had been hurting because they lost community support because of the effort of this staff sergeant whom they caught and eventually killed.”
