THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday bared the arrest of two suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in separate counterterrorism operations in Pasay City.
NBI Officer in Charge Director Eric Distor identified the alleged ASG members as Jamar Ibi and Raden Jamil.
The duo were accused of being involved in the kidnapping of six members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in August 2002 in Patikul, Sulu. Two of the hostages were later beheaded.
Their arrest came more than two months after the NBI-Counter Terrorism Division (NBI-CTD) arrested three other ASG members who were also involved in the kidnapping and beheading incidents.
Distor said the operation stemmed from an information received by the NBI-CTD that a certain ASG member known as alias Bas, who served as a perimeter guard at the time of the kidnapping and alias Tamiya were sighted in Pasay City.
Ibi and Jamil were positively identified by a witness from a photo lineup.
After a series of casing and surveillance operations conducted by the NBI-CTD together with their military counterparts, they were able to collar Ibi last October 12 in Pasay City.
Based on the same intelligence report, another operation was conducted in the city on Monday, October 19, by operatives of the NBI-CTD and the military that led to the apprehension of Tamiya.
The two are currently detained at the NBI Detention Facility.
The three other ASG members who were arrested by the NBI last July were identified as Saudi Ausad, Ajvier Kuhutan and his brother Adzmi Kuhutan.