Janjalani in-law nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Four Abu Sayyaf men, including the brother-in-law of Khadaffi Janjalani, were captured by the military in Isabela City, capital of Basilan, top military officials said yesterday.

The bandits —-Jojo Francisco Jolo alias Abu Ibno Abdulla, 23, a foreign-trained extremist; Alizar Abubakar Manatad alias Abu Hadi; Zhurie Mohammad Manatad, Janjalani’s brother-in-law; and Maid Sampang — were carrying rewards for their arrest varying from P100,000 to P150,000 each.

Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya presented them yesterday at the military headquarters in Zamboanga City.

The four were said to be behind the abduction of teachers and students and the murder of Catholic priest Rhoel Gallardo in Basilan in March 2000 and also believed to have participated in the kidnapping of 21 guests from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan in May 2001.

Abaya said Jolo was trained by five nationals of the United Arab Emirates who visited the Abu Sayyaf camp in Sampinit complex. The foreign terrorists were identified as Abu Farouk, Abu Geram, Abu Abbas, Abu Haer, and Abu Abdullah, who slipped into country sometime in 1998 and left the country at the height of the military offensive against the bandits in Basilan island.

Meanwhile, the military tagged Alizar Abubakar as the one involved in the killing of Fr. Rhoel Gallardo and was also responsible for raping one of the teachers they kidnapped in Tumahubong, Sumisip on March 20, 2000. – Roel Pareño