PNP tracking down financier of Zambo siege

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is tracking down the financier of a Malaysian national who claimed that he received weekly disbursements from his benefactor in Malaysia to finance the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)’s attack in Zamboanga City last September.

Koh Wui Chick said the financier in Malaysia sent him $20,000 (almost P1 million) a week to support the MNLF’s operations in Zamboanga City that started on Sept. 9.

More than 400 followers of MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari stormed Zamboanga City to seize city hall and raise the flag of an “independent Bangsamoro Republik.”

Some 190 MNLF rebels were killed after more than three weeks of fighting, while 292 other suspects were either captured or have surrendered.

Twenty-three soldiers and policemen were killed and 180 were wounded, while 12 civilians were killed.

At least 120,000 villagers fled their homes as the rebels burned houses to derail the military operations to get the MNLF fighters.

The PNP is now coordinating with Malaysian authorities to unmask Chick’s benefactor for the possible filing of charges against the supporters of the MNLF attack in Zamboanga City.

A source said that a Malaysian police representative had visited PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City to talk to Chick who is undergoing tactical interrogation at the PNP Intelligence Group (IG).

Director Cipriano Querol Jr., head of the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, did not respond to The STAR’s text messages in connection with the revelation of Chick.

Operatives of Chief Superintendent Juanito Vaño, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 9, arrested Chick who uses the alias Samson Jose or Atchong, last Oct. 4 in the vicinity of the house of Misuari in Barangay San Roque, Zamboanga City.

Reports gathered by Vaño showed that Chick was a close ally of Misuari and was allegedly helping MNLF forces in their propaganda activities.

“The Malaysian appeared to be watching what was happening in the raid on Misuari’s house when the police arrested him,” a source said.

Chick yielded an MNLF identification card and other evidence linking him to Misuari’s group, the source said.

Aside from the arrest of Chick, government troops recovered several improvised explosive device (IED) components, molotov cocktails, mortars, assorted MNLF documents, maps and tarpaulin from Misuari’s residence.

Chick was brought to the PRO 9 headquarters for interrogation but was immediately transferred to the IG after other arrested MNLF members told investigators that the detainee is a Malaysian citizen.

It was not yet clear whether Chick was also involved in the financing of the MNLF faction’s previous attack in Sabah, Malaysia.

The source said the PNP is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for the possible deportation of Chick to Malaysia.