Informant rewarded for Abu bandit arrest

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police yesterday gave a confidential informant P350,000 as reward for supplying information that recently led to the arrest of a ranking member of the bandit Abu Sayyaf group in Cotabato City.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza, after giving the reward during a press conference at Camp Crame, also crossed out the photo of Hajer Adjuan Sailani alias Abu Jair from the PNP’s roster of wanted Abu personalities.

Sailani was arrested on Aug. 23 by agents of the Regional Intelligence Unit 15 inside the Southseast Mall in downtown Cotabato City.

Sailani was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued on July 28 by Judge Danilo Bucoy of the Regional Trial Court Branch 2, 29th Judicial Region, Isabela City, Basilan for kidnapping and serious illegal detention. 

According to the PNP, Sailani was involved in the mass kidnapping of teachers, students and priests in Barangay Sinangkapan, Tuburan and Barangay Tumahubong, Sumisip, both municipalities of Basilan province on March 29, 2000.

The PNP also said Sailani took part in the Aug. 29, 2000 kidnapping in Patikul, Sulu of American national Jeffrey Craig Schilling and in the May 27, 2001 Dos Palmas kidnapping. In both cases, he was the custodian of the hostages.

Sailani is now being detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Police said Sailani hid in Cotabato City for a year before he was tracked down and arrested.

Moreover, Versoza said the PNP is not letting up on its hunt for the remaining members of the Abu Sayyaf.

“Pursuit operations are on full steam. We are in pursuit of all these Abu Sayyaf elements,” Versoza said.

According to Senior Superintendent Felix Villasanta, deputy chief for administration of the PNP Intelligence Group, they are still tracking down 44 personalities, including Al Bader Farad, one of its key commanders in Sulu province.

“Almost all of the leaders have been neutralized but we are still hunting down 44 personalities,” Villasanta said. According to Villasanta, the number of the Abu bandits has dwindled from a high of 151 to 44.

Although admitting that the bandits still poses a major threat to security, he says the militants has been reduced to pockets of bandit bands holed up in Basilan and Sulu.

“They no longer have an ideology. They are now plain bandits,” he said. – With Dennis Carcamo