P1-M bounty put up for Pentagon leader

Turning to the public for help, the Philippine National Police (PNP) released yesterday a "wanted" poster for the leader of a notorious kidnapping gang operating in central and western Mindanao.

Tahir Alonto, alleged leader of the so-called Pentagon gang, carries a P1-million bounty on his head. The gang has been holding a South Korean treasure hunter hostage for several months now.

According to the PNP, Alonto uses Conto Alonto, Commander Ronnie and Kuya Allan as aliases. He is five feet, six inches tall and of medium build.

"Based on its present organization and leadership, the Pentagon is not a new group. There is a possibility that the leaders of this group want to gain media mileage just like what the Abu Sayyaf group is doing through Abu Sabaya," the PNP said in a statement, referring to the extremists’ spokesman.

Police believe Alonto is hiding somewhere in Liguasan Marsh in Maguindanao province.

Straddling the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao, Liguasan Marsh became a haven of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels after their main enclave, Camp Abubakar, fell in a massive military offensive in mid-2000.

The heavily armed gang maintains jungle bases like guerrilla groups.

It has kidnapped several foreigners in the past year, reportedly receiving ransom for their release. The group is on the US government’s list of terrorist organizations.

Three Chinese traders were kidnapped in June last year, and another one two months later.

The Pentagon gang gained notoriety in October when they abducted Italian priest Giuseppe Pierantoni in the town of Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur. Pierantoni was freed last April 8 after ransom was reportedly paid.

Another kidnap victim, Pierre Belanger of Ottawa, Canada, was rescued two days before Christmas after two months in captivity.

Early this month, three members of the gang were killed in a clash with Army troops and police in Pagagawan, North Cotabato. They were gunned down when they tried to shoot it out.

One of three was identified as Kabilo Saguile, 39, a former rebel commander who was expelled by the MILF when he turned to banditry, mostly kidnapping and robbery. Saguile was one of North Cotabato’s most wanted criminals.

North Cotabato Gov. Manuel Piñol said Saguile’s death would hopefully cripple the gang.

Saguile first gained notoriety in the early 1990s when he masterminded the abduction of three wealthy residents in North Cotabato’s Mlang town.

He was also responsible for the abduction of five Chinese nationals working on an irrigation project in Carmen town last year. A Chinese engineer was killed and another was wounded in a rescue attempt.