Malaysia deports 1989 Zambo massacre leader

The renegade policeman who led a band of smugglers in killing a general and several other hostages in the infamous Cawa-Cawa siege in Zamboanga City in 1989 is finally back in town after serving his sentence in Malaysia.

After more than 18 years of evading the law, fugitive policeman Rizal Alih was immediately taken into custody by the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) that served his warrant of arrest.

Tightly guarded by four Malaysian policemen, Alih stepped off Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 704 after landing at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal I (NAIA) yesterday afternoon.

Even after serving a sentence in a Malaysian prison for illegal possession of firearms, Alih still faces the prospect of spending his twilight years in jail for the murder of Brig. Gen. Eduardo Batalla and 19 other people during the Camp Cawa-Cawa siege in 1989.

Asked his age, Alih replied he was 68 years old and had 24 children with three different wives.

A former member of the defunct Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (PC-INP), Alih had been initially detained for questioning in the murder of Zamboanga City Mayor Cesar Climaco in Nov. 14, 1984.

He protested his transfer of detention to Manila and led a prison riot that led to the hostage-taking of Batalla, his aide Col. Romeo Abendan and 18 others at Camp Cawa-Cawa in Zamboanga City.

With the lucrative "barter" trade in Zamboanga under his control, Alih reportedly wielded so much power and influence in Western Mindanao, even ordering the transfer of officials who had uncovered his illegal activities to other assignments.

But his influence waned after he was implicated in the murder of Climaco.

While detained at Camp Cawa-Cawa, Alih and his group were summoned by Batalla into his office after his refusal to be transferred to Manila.

The meeting turned into a shouting match with Alih and his group later taking Batalla and Abendan hostage along with other personnel inside the general’s office.

This triggered a standoff that ended with the two military officials and 10 others getting killed while Alih managed to escape.

The former policemen even sent the military a picture of himself weeks later.

While in hiding in Malaysia, Alih was arrested for the murder of a Malaysian marine during a raid on a known criminal den in Jampiras, Sabah state.

Alih was subsequently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment but only served eight years before getting deported to the Philippines.