2 Kato henchmen fall

MANILA, Philippines - A battalion commander of the Moro National Liberation Front’s National Guard, wanted for last year’s rampage in North Cotabato, and another suspected key henchman of MILF commander Ameril Ombra Kato have been arrested, authorities said yesterday.

The two, Ismael Manalasal and his cousin, Mohammad Alian, were nabbed at a police-Army checkpoint along the national highway in Barangay Bagolibas, Aleosan, North Cotabato Monday afternoon.

Manalasal and Alian are believed to be close aides of Kato, wanted leader of the MILF’s 105th Base Command.

Manalasal was turned over yesterday to the Cotabato provincial jail to thwart attempts by the MILF to rescue him from the Aleosan jail, where he and Alian were initially detained.

Army and police records show that Manalasal, commander of the MILF’s National 7th Brigade, had a pending warrant for 46 counts of robbery, arson, kidnapping, multiple murder, and multiple frustrated murder.

These cases stemmed from last year’s MILF assault on civilian communities in North Cotabato that Kato spearheaded.

Senior Inspector Orlando Panzo, Aleosan police chief, said Manalasal, together with his National Guard fighters, was actively involved in last year’s rampage that left scores of civilians killed and wounded in villages in five North Cotabato towns.

During interrogation, Alian reportedly denied being a henchman of Kato, alleging that he even once served as a government spy within the MILF.

But a check showed that Alian was not in the military list of civilian agents. – With Ramil Bajo and Cecille Suerte Felipe