Abu Sayyaf logistics exec nabbed in Jolo
SECURITY troops last Friday captured a wanted logistics officer of the ISIS-inspired Abu Sayyaf Group who was found to be a non-uniformed police personnel in Jolo, Sulu, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said.
The top cop identified the suspect as Masckur Adoh Patarasa alias ‘Makong/Omair Sali Taib,’ a non-uniformed personnel of the Bangungui Municipal Police Station in Sulu who was also described as a brother-in-law of the late Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon.
According to Gen. Eleazar, the suspect was arrested in an intelligence-driven police operation in Barangay Asturias, Jolo, Sulu around 7 p.m. last Friday.
Members of the Regional Intelligence Unit 9 of the PNP Intelligence Group headed by Colonel Neil B. Alinsañgan spearheaded the operation with the support of the Police Regional Office 9 headed by Brigadier Gen. Ronaldo Genaro E. Ylagan, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and PNP Maritime Group.
Gen. Eleazar said the suspect was arrested on the strength of a warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Judge Leo Jay Principe of the Isabela City Regional Trial Court Branch 1 in Basilan.
The PNP chief said that the suspect has been identified as a finance/logistics/liaison officer’ of the Abu Sayyaf who was included in the Martial Law Arrest Order No. 1 issued by the Defense department during the 2017 Marawi City siege.
PNP records revealead that in May 2017, Patarasa, together with an unidentified individual linked with ASG planned to transact the sending of funds to ASG members fighting in Marawi City thru his brother-in-law Isnilon Hapilon.
Gen. Eleazar said Patarasa joined the ASG in 2001 under Khadaffy Janjalani in Basilan and later shifted is loyalty to senior ASG leader Radullan Sahiron in Sulu. Moreover, the subject person was also known to have direct contact with Jemaah Islamiyah operative Amin Baco alias ‘Guro Jihad’ and other most wanted extremists in Sulu.
He added that they have discovered that Patarasa received funds from Almaida Salvin, a designated terrorist included in the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions list who was arrested sometime in April 2019 for illegal possession of explosives.
The arrest of Salvin came following the neutralization of four suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists in a gunbattle with troops in Parañaque City on June 20, 2020.
“I am glad that our personnel were able to arrest the subject person. This still forms part of the Intensified Cleanliness Policy that we are implementing. Cleanliness of the ranks should be maintained to regain the trust and confidence of the people to our organization,” Gen. Eleazar said
“I commend our units here in Region 9 as well as other units involved in the arrest of this person, your action is a reflection of our campaign to keep the organization free from persons with ill motives. Let us join hands in keeping the Philippine National Police a respectable organization, true to its mandate to serve and protect the people,” he added.
