MNLF terror squad in Metro for kidnapping mission

Followers of former governor Nur Misuari plan to kidnap prominent personalities in Metro Manila and exchange them for their jailed leader in a prisoner swap with the government.

Intelligence sources told The STAR yesterday a 10-man squad of Misuari partisans arrived in Metro Manila from Central Mindanao last week after the Supreme Court granted Thursday the government’s request to transfer the venue of Misuari’s trial for rebellion from Jolo, Sulu to Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

"The 10-man team is also reported to be composed of explosive experts, aside from being involved in the series of kidnappings in Central Mindanao," sources said.

Sources said known personalities will be snatched to force the government to strike a deal with the kidnappers to free Misuari in exchange for their captives.

"They intend to abduct high-profile personalities and trade their victims for Misuari," sources said.

Sources said intelligence agents lost track of the Misuari partisans after they arrived and that their comrades in Metro Manila might have given them sanctuary.

The plot of renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front was uncovered by intelligence agents while monitoring the movements of die-hard supporters of Misuari, sources added.

However, Chief Superintendent Cresencio Maralit, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman and acting chief of the Directorate for Community Relations, said he does not know anything about the supposed threat of Misuari’s followers to kidnap prominent people in Metro Manila.

"For now, I don’t have any knowledge about this threat and definitely the PNP Intelligence Group is looking into this matter," he said.

If the PNP was able to handle threats posed by international terrorists following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, "there’s no reason why it cannot handle this local threat," Maralit said.

Residents of Barangay Sto. Domingo, which surrounds Fort Sto. Domingo, have urged the government to immediately transfer Misuari to another place of detention outside Laguna, saying that his armed followers might try to spring him out of jail and cause havoc in their barangay.

The Supreme Court has ordered police officials to "increase and strengthen" the level of security in Fort Sto. Domingo to ensure the safety and well being of residents of Sta. Rosa.

Authorities have been very concerned about the security aspect of handling the case of Misuari.

The Supreme Court has ordered that Misuari’s trial for rebellion be held at the Calamba City Regional Trial Court while a P2.9-million courthouse is being built inside Fort Sto. Domingo, the training camp of the PNP’s Special Action Force.

Chief Superintendent Domingo Reyes Jr., Southern Tagalog police director, told The STAR in an interview Friday he will deploy crack police units to secure the judge whom the Supreme Court would assign to hear Misuari’s case, along with his staff, and the government prosecutors.

"We are providing the presiding judge and his court employees (with) security escorts to and from their place of work," he said. "It is good that (Misuari) will be tried in Fort Sto. Domingo so we don’t have to secure him outside."

Misuari has been detained in a prison bungalow — built to hold ousted President Joseph Estrada and his son, Jinggoy — inside the police camp since his repatriation from Malaysia early this month.

Director Lucas Managuelod, head of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, said construction of the courthouse inside Fort Sto. Domingo would be completed in two to three weeks.

"The courthouse will have a sala, a judge’s chamber, rooms for the prosecution and defense panels, and a conference room," he said. "It will be built near the prison bungalow where Misuari is detained."