The Department of Justice (DoJ) achieved a significant victory by securing the conviction of 17 leaders and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) for their involvement in the 2000 kidnapping of 21 individuals from Malaysia. These hostages were held captive for several months in Sulu, Mindanao.

In a 157-page ruling issued on 16 October by Judge Mariam Bien of the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153, the 17 accused were found guilty of 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom. Each was sentenced to reclusion perpetua for every count.

In April 2000, members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf abducted 21 individuals of various nationalities at gunpoint from a resort on Sipadan Island, Malaysia.

Of the 21, 10 were foreign tourists visiting the remote diving resort consisting of three Germans, two Finnish, two South Africans, one Lebanese, and two French, while the 11 others (nine Malaysians and two Filipinos) were resort workers.

The victims were taken by boat to Talipao, Sulu, and held captive in the hinterlands of Jolo, Sulu while ASG extorted ransom money from the hostages’ family and the government. Hostages were released over several months after ransom money was paid to the kidnappers.

Most of the top ASG leaders — Galib Andang a.k.a. “Commander Robot’, Nadjmi Sabdulla a.k.a. “Commander Global” — and several other members were taken into custody and prosecuted shortly after the incident. But they perished during an attempted jailbreak in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City in 2005 (Bicutan Siege).

Among those 17 convicted are high-profile individuals who are listed in the United Nations Security Council’s Sanctions List, namely: Hilarion del Rosario III a.k.a. Ahmed Islam Santos, Ahmed Santos and Redendo Cain Dellosa.