Abu in 2001 Dos Palmas raid nabbed

Marines nabbed a suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorist linked to the kidnapping of 20 Filipino and foreign tourists from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan in May 2001.

Teteng Mandangan alias Abu Kudama was captured last Wednesday in Tawi-Tawi during an anti-terrorism campaign, Lt. Col. Jonas Lumawag, Marine spokesman, said yesterday.

“Mandangan was captured by Philippine Marine operating elements in Bongao,” he said.

Mandangan had been tagged as the one of the trusted men of slain Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, Lumawag said.

Among the kidnapped tourists were Americans Gracia and Martin Burnham, and Guillermo Sobero.

Sobero and Martin were killed while Gracia was rescued and is now back in the US.

Meanwhile, a military intelligence source has identified the Jemaah Islamiyah as behind the spate of terrorist bombings in Mindanao and Metro Manila.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the highly placed source told The STAR the JI continues to recruit and operate in the country, making it a “potent threat” to national security.

“These people are just around and they are doing the recruitment on their own,” the source said. – Jaime Laude, Edith Regalado