Military says Abu Sayyaf members are shabu users 

Some members of the Abu Sayyaf, particularly those tasked to guard their hostages, are into illegal drugs, specifically shabu, the military said Thursday, citing information from the group's former captives.

"This is also the revelation of several former hostages of the group. Those guarding hostages are always high on drugs," said Col. Rodrigo Gregorio, spokesman for Joint Task Force Sulu.

He said a former hostage, Indonesian Herman Bin Manggak, claimed during his debriefing that he personally saw Abu Sayyaf members snorting shabu.

"Former Indonesian hostage Herman Bin Manggak revealed in his debriefing that five to seven ASG (Abu Sayyaf Group) are always guarding him and were personally seen by him taking shabu," Gregorio said.

The official said Abu Sayyaf members would engage government soldiers in a firefight high on drugs, making them treat the gunbattle like a "game."

"Talking to interpreters, he (Manggak) said he was nearly rescued three times by government troops who were engaged in fierce gunbattles. In those instances, Herman said he witnessed the effect of drugs to the ASG bandits who treat a deadly gunbattle as a sort of game," said Gregorio.

Gregorio said soldiers had recovered drug paraphernalia from the possession of slain Abu Sayyaf members and from overran camps of the group.

Manggak, 30, was released on September 22, or 50 days after he was abducted off Sandakan in Sabah. He is now back in Indonesia.

At present, the Abu Sayyaf is still holding around 15 foreign and Filipino hostages in Sulu. —KBK, GMA News