[PhilStar] Thirteen Abu Sayyaf militants surrendered Saturday night to troops in a village in Talipao, Sulu. They surrendered themselves and their firearms and promised to turn over more weapons after the initial processing at the Special Forces headquarters.Military spokesman Rey Divino Pabayo said the latest surrender was caused by continuous military pressure coupled with allowing Abu Sayyaf members to surrender peacefully and avail themselves of government services. He said, "This is a clear manifestation that we are achieving our goal of clearing Sulu Province from the menace of the ASG through peaceful means by giving them a better option and to reembrace the true essence of Islam."
Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, head of Western Mindanao Command, welcomed the rebels' surrender and vowed to ensure they will get government support packages under the ‘Oplan Balik Loob’ program. He said, "We also urge the other remaining ASG members to do the same because there is nothing more fulfilling than to accomplish our mission without any bloodshed."
Earlier this year, President Rodrigo Duterte visited Sulu and where he met 70 former Abu Sayyaf rebels. He promised to provide assistance for those who voluntarily surrendered.