Another Sayyaf kidnapper of TV crew nabbed

10/13/2008

Another suspected member of the local terror group Abu Sayyaf who had participated in the abduction of prominent TV journalist Ces Drilon, two of her crew and a university professor four months ago has been arrested by government security forces, the military yesterday said.

According to Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 chief Lt. Col. Jimmy Larida, the suspect, Marcial Jabarot, 30, was collared by his men around 11 p.m. Saturday in downtown Jolo, the capital of the restive island province of Sulu, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf.

Larida said Jabarot is the son of Abu Sayyaf sub-commander leader Totoh Jabarot, who was killed in a clash with Marines, and is allegedly a follower of another extremist sub-commander, Jul Asbi Jalmaani. He was positively identified by former Abu Sayyaf members who had surrendered to government authorities.

The military official said upon interrogation, Jabarot owned up to being involved in the kidnapping of ABS-CBN reporter-newscaster Drilon, her cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion and soundman/driver Angelo Valderama and Mindanao State University Prof. Octavio Dinampo.

Larida said Jabarot, alias Abu Cesar and who resides in Sitio Buhanginan, Barangay Darayan, Patikul, Sulu, was on a mission to assassinate soldiers in Patikul after three of his comrades were killed in an attempt to kidnap a businessman in Gandasuli Drive, Jolo Friday but was foiled by responding Marine troops.

The kidnapping was thwarted after residents informed authorities about the presence of eight suspicious persons on board a parked jeep.

When authorities accosted them, the suspects shot at them sparking a firefight which resulted in the killing of one of the suspects. Three other suspects, namely Makambian Sakilan, Tagayan Sakilan and Asma Awang, all residents of Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao town, were arrested while Jabarot and three others were able to escape.

Larida said they learned Jabarot was out to liquidate members of the Philippine Marines and police in retaliation for the death of his companion in Friday’s clash.

Last June 7, Drilon and her TV news crew went to Sulu to reportedly try to obtain an exclusive interview with the remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, which has been decimated with the military’s unrelenting offensives against it.

They allegedly made arrangements with Dinampo for him to act as a “mediator” with a band of Abu Sayyaf gunmen for them to gain access to the Muslim terror group’s lair.

The next day, escorted by another “go-between,” Drilon and her crew went to the jungle camp of the militants but were surprised when its leader declared that they were being kidnapped.

Negotiations initiated by government emissaries ensued, and, after nine days in captivity, the four were freed by their terrorist-captors.

Reports said their release came after the payment of at least P2 million ransom.

The military was able to identify the suspects through a video Encarnacion managed to secretly take during their ordeal.

Two alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf, along with Dinampo, were arrested and are under investigation for the kidnapping.

Indanan town, Sulu Mayor Alvarez Isnaji, who had acted as emissary in the negotiations for the freedom of Drilon’s group, and his son were tagged by police as co-conspirators in the kidnapping.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small gang of self-styled Islamic freedom fighters. It is on the US government’s list of foreign terrorist organizations after it kidnapped dozens of foreign hostages in 2000 and 2001, including three Americans — two of whom later died in captivity.

The rest of the hostages escaped or were freed after ransom payments were made.

PNA and AFP

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