Sayyaf man with P150,000 bounty falls

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Military intelligence agents captured a member of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf with a prize of P150,000 on his head in the hinterlands of Basilan yesterday morning.

The Abu Sayyaf member, Abdusalih Dimah, who was on the wanted list of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, was arrested in Upper Kapayawan, a known former sanctuary of the extremist group in Sumisip town.

Dimah had several warrants of arrest for his role in the kidnapping of three Americans and 17 Filipino tourists in a Palawan resort on May 27, 2001.

The Abu Sayyaf subsequently beheaded one of the American captives, Guillermo Sobero. Missionary Martin Burnham was killed while his wife, Gracia, was wounded during a military rescue operation.

Most of the hostages were released following the payment of huge ransoms.

The military also tagged Dimah in the kidnapping of farmers in Tairan, Lantawan, Basilan, and in the siege on Lamitan town, also in Basilan.

Meanwhile, a suspected member of the notorious Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom gang, implicated in the abduction of a Chinese engineer and wealthy traders in Central Mindanao, was arrested in Koronadal City last Monday.

Superintendent Diosdado Bangeles, deputy chief of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, said the suspect, Karutin Montawal, 30, carried a P175,000 prize on his head.

Bangeles said Montawal took part in the kidnapping of three engineers of the Philippine National Oil Company on Jan. 19, 1997 in Barangay Buteren in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao; and businesswoman Zolia Canzi on Feb. 12, 2004 in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat.

He was also tagged in the foiled kidnapping of Chinese-Filipino rice trader Ang Lok on Sept. 10, 2003 in Tacurong City.

Bangeles said Montawal was one of the Pentagon members who seized Chinese engineer Zhang Zhong Quiang on June 20, 2001 in Matalam, North Cotabato.

During interrogation, Bangeles said Montawal gave information that led to the arrest last Tuesday of Ruben Tio, an alleged "spotter" of Montawal in car thefts in the Socsksargen (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) area.

With Tio’s help, Montawal, according to Bangeles, confessed that his group was able to steal at least 20 vehicles in General Santos City, 20 others in South Cotabato, and several more in Sultan Kudarat. — With Ramil Bajo