The island is surrounded by white sand beaches and coral reefs.

A few residents live on Aliguay Island, mostly selling fish to tourists.

Rodolfo Buligao, Aliguay's Barangay Captain at the time, and two members of the Philippine Coast Guard were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf.

[2] The suspects turned to these 3 men after failing to see foreign tourists in what could have been a plan for kidnapping-for-ransom.

The military found a beheaded body of a man believed to be Buligao.