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Nation

Military downplays ex-Sayyaf men's info

- Roel Pareño -

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The meeting that two former Abu Sayyaf members claimed they had with Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leaders Dulmatin and Umar Patek happened before the 2007 encounter in Tawi-Tawi where Dulmatin was believed to have been killed, the military clarified yesterday.

Col. Eugenio Clemen, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade based in Jolo, said former Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hadjili Hari, alias Doh, 52, and his son-in-law Faizal Dali, 24, told military intelligence agents that the rendezvous with Dulmatin – who goes by one name – and Patek happened before August 2007.

“Although the information helped us, it will be insignificant because this meeting happened before the encounter in August 2007 in Tawi-Tawi against the group of Dulmatin,” he said.

Clemen declined to talk about Patek.

However, the Marines are hunting down the JI terrorists and their Abu Sayyaf cohorts in Tawi-Tawi, he added.

Reports of the alleged death of Dulmatin came a month later after another Abu Sayyaf surrenderee pointed to an area where the supposed remains of Dulmatin were buried.

A sample of the recovered remains subjected to DNA testing last year yielded no conclusive evidence that they were indeed Dulmatin’s.

ABU SAYYAF

CLEMEN

DULMATIN

DULMATIN AND UMAR PATEK

EUGENIO CLEMEN

FAIZAL DALI

HADJILI HARI

JEMAAH ISLAMIYAH

MARINE BRIGADE

PATEK

TAWI-TAWI

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