MILF leader with P1.3-M reward for his capture arrested by CIDG-BAR agents

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested a wanted commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, carrying a P1.3 million reward on his head, on Saturday morning in Barangay Tuca in Marawi City.

Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, told reporters on Sunday that Jovy Sanguila, also known as Commander Wahab Gara of the MILF, is now detained, to be prosecuted for high-profile crimes filed against him that are pending in different courts.

Tanggawohn said Sanguila yielded peacefully when agents of the CIDG-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region under Police Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca cornered him in Barangay Tuca in Marawi City and showed him copies of warrants for his arrests from different courts.

Tanggawohn said Huesca and his subordinates managed to locate Sanguila in Barangay Tuca with the help of confidential tipsters, local executives and intelligence agents from the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office and the Marawi City Police Office.

Huesca and Tanggawohn separately confirmed on Sunday that the government had allocated P1.3 million as reward for the arrest of Sanguila.

Tanggawohn and local officials in Lanao del Sur province and in its capital, Marawi City, told reporters that Sanguila and his followers were tagged in the deadly August 18, 2008 attacks in Lanao del Norte’s neighboring Kolambugan and Kauswagan towns.

The attacks resulted in the death of 23 villagers and an Army officer, Lt. Col Angelo Benitez of the 102nd Infantry Brigade, and Police Patrolman Dexter Salvacion.