70-Year-Old Villager Nearly Captures Abu Sayyaf Terrorist in Bohol

Not many knew it, but a terrorist out to sow chaos in Bohol province last week was almost single-handedly captured by a septuagenarian, dead or alive.

In a rare display of raw courage never heard nor seen anywhere in the war on terror, the 70-year-old man engaged the Abu Sayyaf terrorist intruding in his backyard in a hand-to-hand combat in the town of Calape at the height of a massive military operation against the militant Islamic group.

In an exclusive interview with this writer, Capt. Jojo Mascariňas, intelligence officer of the Central Command (CEMCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), related in detail the bravery of a man known as Lolo (grandpa) Peryong, who confronted Abu Ubayda, the last member of an 11-man Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who clandestinely slipped into Bohol last month to create chaos, particularly kidnapping.

Lolo Peryong was cleaning his backyard in the afternoon of May 15 when Ubayda, armed with an M16 assault rifle, intruded the perimeter of his house in Barangay Lawis in the town of Calape some 45 kilometers north of this city.

While all his neighbors fled for their lives upon seeing Ubayda, Lolo Peryong, armed with a bolo, bravely attacked the bandit.

Not sensing he was facing a fearless old man, Ubayda was apparently caught by surprise, with Lolo Peryong already swinging his bolo at the terrorist.

For one reason or another, Ubayda did not use his M-16 rifle to shoot Lolo Peryong but was able to parry the old man’s non-stop bolo thrusts and hacking.

In one instance, Peryong saw an opening and tried to slash Ubayda, but the terrorist managed to parry and seize the bladed weapon from the old man. But the game old man still engaged the terrorist in a hand-to-hand combat.

Eventually, Ubayda stabbed Peryong, then butt stroke him with his rifle before pursuing army soldiers arrived and shot the terrorist dead.

Fortunately for Lolo Peryong, the wound was not fatal. He was brought to the hospital where he is recovering.

The bravery and gallantry of Lolo Peryong against a heavily armed terrorist despite his age was likely the first in the country or even the whole world.

Boholanos compared the heroic deeds of Lolo Peryong to the great Boholano hero, Francisco Dagohoy, who staged the longest revolt in the Philippines against the well-armed Spaniards for 85 years from 1744 to 1826.

During the military operation against the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol, another villager identified as Crisanto Bancore engaged Abu Asis, Ubayda’s companion, in a brief fistfight while Asis was trying to flee from pursuing government forces.

Asis was later gunned down before he could escape.

Mascariňas said Ubayda and Asis were the last of the 11-man terrorist group, who slipped into the town of Inabanga, Bohol last month apparently to destabilize the peaceful island province in Central Visayas.

The military mounted a massive operation upon learning the landing of a terrorist group in Bohol.

Aside fom the military operation, the AFP Central Command (CEMCOM), hosted a seminar on anti-terrorism and anti-drug campaign with Bohol officials in this city last May 9.

The seminar was conducted by Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado, CEMCOM deputy commander, who has a solid background in fighting terrorism as the former commander of Joint Task Force Sulu that neutralized many Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Matanguihan, commander of the 302nd Infantry of the Philippine Army, has declared Bohol cleared of the Abu Sayyaf.