By AARON B. RECUENCO
Plans to bomb the city hall, churches, and malls in General Santos City were believed foiled following the arrest of a suspected terrorist in front of a church Wednesday.
Supt. Romeo Galgo, spokesman of the Central Mindanao regional police, announced the arrest of Abdulazis Mangambit Tungan, a 20-year-old native of Maasim, Sarangani.
Tungan is an alleged member of Ansar Al-Khalifa Philipines, an extremist group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It is allied with the Maute Group.
After receiving the intelligence report, police conducted background check on Ansar Al-Khalifa and found out one of the few surviving members of the group – Tungan.
The leader of the terror group, Mohammad Jaafar “Tokboy” Maguid, was killed in a police operation early this year.
Before his death, Maguid was in constant meeting with the Maute brothers allegedly to help the ISIS established a firm footing in Mindanao.
It turned out that Tungan was among those ordered arrested by the Defense department in connection with the Marawi City attack.
“He was seen standing beside the church of a religious sect, suspiciously uneasy. He attempted to run when his arrest was announced but he was immediately cornered,” said Galgo.
A hand grenade was seized from Tungan and will be used in the filing of criminal charges against him.
Tungan’s two companions are being hunted down.
Mindanao is currently under Martial Law following the Marawi attack last May 23.
