‘Sleeping with the enemy’

PNP superintendent, Abu lover nabbed in Bohol

MANILA, Philippines - As a member of a special police anti-crime unit in 2013, Maria Cristina Nobleza was tasked to interrogate Reener Lou Dongon, suspected bomber of a hotel in Cagayan de Oro.

Last Saturday, Nobleza, a police superintendent, was arrested in Bohol together with Dongon, his mother and a 13-year-old nephew in connection with an Abu Sayyaf plot to attack Bohol and kidnap foreigners.

Police officials said Nobleza, 49, and Dongon, 25, who initially worked for her as a driver, had become lovers.

Dongon, also known as Kudre, is tagged as a bomb maker of the Abu Sayyaf, whose brothers-in-law include slain Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir or Marwan, Abu Sayyaf founding commander Khadaffy Janjalani, Abu Sulayman and Akmad Santos.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, who announced the arrests yesterday at Camp Crame, said President Duterte was appalled upon learning of Nobleza’s story, and instructed him to make sure she would be arrested.

“She is romantically involved… she is sleeping with the enemy,” Dela Rosa said, adding he was not sure if the police colonel, who is married to the country’s police attaché in Pakistan, was living in with Dongon.

Nobleza, Dongon and the other suspects were arrested after ignoring a checkpoint in Bohol.

The policewoman, who is the deputy regional director of the crime laboratory in the regional PNP office in Davao, faces criminal and administrative charges.

“They fell in love with each other so kung ano yung ginagawa niya hindi na yun sanctioned ng PNP (whatever she is doing is not sanctioned by the PNP),” Dela Rosa said. “Siguradong tatanggalin natin siya sa serbisyo (We will surely dismiss her from the service).”

Nobleza and Dongon were with two companions in her Nissan Navara pick-up (FGN 270) when they ignored a checkpoint in Barangay Bacani in Clarin town. The vehicle was blocked at a second checkpoint and the two were arrested.

During interrogation, Dela Rosa said police found out that the pair’s companions in the vehicle were Dongon’s mother Judith, 62, and the 13-year-old son of Rajah Sulayman Movement leader Akmad Santos, who is detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan.

The daughters of Judith reportedly married terrorist bandits.

 “Talagang hardcore mother-in law yun ng mga Abu Sayyaf, hindi ba (She’s a real hardcore mother-in-law of the Abu Sayyaf, isn’t she)?” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said Nobleza tossed away her mobile phone while being arrested. He said he had not yet inspected the phone’s contents, but it reportedly bore a text message from an Abu Sayyaf member named Saad, one of those who were supposed to carry out kidnapping activities in Bohol.

“Baka mamaya yung laman ng text messages nila ay (Their text messages might contain merely) mwah tsup tsup at mwah mwah tsup tsup lang,” Dela Rosa joked.

He said Nobleza was supposed to be taking a course in Human Resource Management at the Camp Crame Training Service. But she left the camp and drove her Navara to meet up with Dongon and rescue or give medicine to Saad, who is among the bandits trapped by government forces in Bohol.

Love story

Nobleza was a member of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission when she was assigned to interrogate Dongon following his arrest for bombing a hotel in Cagayan de Oro in 2013.

From the interview, Dela Rosa said, “let the love begin.”

He said a prosecutor dismissed the case against Dongon on a technicality. Dongon has two arrest warrants in connection with the hotel bombing.

Nobleza faces charges of illegal possession of firearms, harboring a criminal and conspiracy to commit terrorism.

She reportedly claimed she was working on a special case, but Dela Rosa said the PNP has no case operation involving the crime laboratory where Nobleza was assigned.

Dela Rosa said Nobleza was blinded by love and allowed herself to be used by the Abu Sayyaf. This weakness as a police officer required her dismissal from the service, he said: “Yan ang sinasabi namin sa Bisaya na nabuang sa gugma – yung naloko sa pag-ibig ba. Dahil sa pagmamahal niya doon sa lalaki na Abu Sayyaf nagpagamit siya. Kung talagang rescue attempt a  So mahinang klaseng opisyal siya. Dapat tanggalin sa serbisyo.”

Nobleza, Dongon and Judith will be transferred to Camp Crame from Bohol, as police authorities consider them to be high-risk detainees. The 13-year-old boy has been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Authorities said more than 10 members of the Abu Sayyaf, including its sub-leader Muammar Askali, alias Abu Rami, attacked Inabanga, Bohol last April 11 in an attempt to kidnap foreigners in the area.

However, the police and military learned about the plan and engaged the bandits, killing Askali and five others.

On Saturday, four more Abu Sayyaf members including Joselito Melloria were killed by the military.

Government forces are hunting down the remaining Abu Sayyaf members who are trapped in Bohol.