Southcom: Al-Ghazie not a person but a group

Government authorities and civilians all thought Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie was the alias of a notorious bandit.

It is actually the name of an extortion group linked to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), authorities learned during the interrogation of the group’s recruiter and leader who is one of any number of bandits using the same alias.

Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina said the initial tactical interrogation of ASG commander Ustadz Nur Mohammed Umog revealed that Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie is the name of the ASG’s extortion syndicate.

After his arrest in Cotabato City last Wednesday, Umog said during interrogation that Al-Ghazie is a special operations group of the Al Harakatul Al Islamiya or Abu Sayyaf. The suspect also confessed that Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie is the group’s code name, as Al-Ghazie means warrior of the Abu Sayyaf.

Prior to Umog’s arrest, joint police and military operatives arrested another ASG member who used the alias Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie and was in pursuit of another ASG member who also used the same alias.

The military said Umog joined the ASG in 1993 under the leadership of ASG founder Ustadz Abduljarak Abubakar Janjalani. Umog evaded capture in Basilan and escaped to Cotabato City to set up the Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie group with Ahma Aluan and Jay-R Jikiron. There, the three captured ASG members conducted the extortion activities that have been financing the ASG’s operations in Basilan.

Carolina said the Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie group operated in Cotabato City for three months, where they sent threatening extortion letters to local businesses, whose addresses and telephone numbers were taken from local telephone directory. The letters were all signed "Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie."

Carolina added that either Umog or Jikiron would follow the extortion letters up with phone calls to the business proprietors using the alias Abu Muslim Al-Ghazie.

Umog also said during tactical interrogation at the headquarters of the 601st Army Brigade that during the first week of May, they managed to get P40,000 in extortion payments using the account of a certain Rosita Arasad. The ATM card used for withdrawing extortion payments was confiscated from Jikiron upon his arrest on May 7 and the cardholder’s name is Rosita Arasad.

Confiscated from Umog were one Nokia 5510 cellular phone, three SIM cards, a wristwatch, a wallet containing a family picture and a diary containing cellular phone numbers.

Meanwhile, Task Force Mindanao yesterday received orders from Philippine National Police Director General Leandro Mendoza to intensify the PNP’s ongoing campaign against organized bandits and other criminal elements in Mindanao.

"You do not relax and celebrate after snaring a big fish," Mendoza said, "now is the time to strike harder as their members scramble for safety while their organization is in shambles."

The PNP also chief lauded the efforts of Task Force Mindanao, led by PNP Deputy Director for Operations Edgar Galvante and PNP Deputy Director for Comptrollership Reynaldo Velasco, for silently doing its job.