3 Abus get life for kidnap of 2 Americans, Pinoy

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  – A local court has sentenced to life imprisonment three suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits for kidnapping two Americans and their Filipino relative here four years ago. 

In a decision released on Wednesday, Judge Peter Eisma of the Regional Trial Court branch 15 found the accused – Patik Samsom, Meijing Jama and Jamil Ajijul – guilty of kidnapping Gerfa Yeatts Umsna Lunsmann, her son Kevin Eric and Rommick Jakaria.

“The court sentenced each of the accused to reclusion perpetua without eligibility for parole for the crime of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom,” city police chief Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro said.

Lunsmann and her son were vacationing on Tictabon Island off this city when they were seized by the gunmen in July 2011. They were taken to Basilan by their captors.

On Monday, the senior leader and financier of the bandit group was sentenced to life imprisonment along with four others for the kidnapping of a nurse in 2008.

The victim was freed after more than three months in captivity and payment of P3-million ransom.

The court ordered the accused – Khair Mundos, Ashra Jawari, Ellel Bugarak, Bensar Indama and Ermiahe Achmad – to pay the victim P3 million in legal, moral and exemplary damages.

Mundos, who was included in the US government’s list of most wanted terrorists, was arrested in June 2014 in Parañaque City.

He reportedly acted as a conduit for money coming from the international terrorist group al-Qaeda to finance the operations of the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines.