Abu Sayyaf leader, 4 others get life in prison for kidnapping

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A senior Abu Sayyaf leader and four others were sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty by a local court here Monday, according to security official.

Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, City Police Office director, identified the convicted as Khair Mundos, Ashra Jawari, Ellel, Bensar Indama and Ermiahe Achmad.

In a 31-page decision penned by Judge Gregorio dela Peña of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 in Zamboanga, the accused were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt on the charge of kidnapping with serious illegal detention.

“The court sentenced each of them to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua without possibility of parole,” Casimiro quoted part of the court’s decision.

He said the case stemmed from the kidnapping of a registered female nurse in July 2008.

The victim was freed after more than three months in captivity following payment of P3 million as ransom.

Casimiro said the court also ordered the accused to jointly indemnify the offended party the sum of P3 million as legal, moral and exemplary damages.

Casimiro said Mundos, tagged as bomber with a bounty prize of P1.2 million pesos and US$500,000 dollars under the US Reward for Justice, was arrested in June 2014 in Parañaque City.

He said Bensar Indama, a younger brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Furuji Indama, was arrested in Basilan in 2012.

Security was tight and a court staff disclosed that the accused showed no remorse when the judge handed down the decision.

Casimiro said Mundos and four others were brought back to Taguig and will be detained at the New Bilibid Prison to serve the sentence.