BY JEFFREY DAMICOG
Three suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) wanted for the kidnapping of six followers of a religious group in Patikul, Sulu have been arrested in Metro Manila during a series of operations launched by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
NBI Officer-In-Charge Eric Distor on Wednesday identified those arrested as Saudi Ausad, Ajvier Kuhutan, and Ajvier’s older brother Adzmi Kuhutan.
Distor said all three are among suspected ASG members who were issued arrest warrants by the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 271 where they are facing six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom.
The case concerns the abduction of six members of a Christian sect in Patikul, Sulu in August 2002.
Distor said the three suspected ASG members were arrested by the NBI’s Counter-Terrorism Division in coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The NBI chief said in a statement “the successful operations were based on the intelligence reports from the NBI-CTD in connection with sightings of alleged ASG members in Metro Manila who were involved in the kidnapping of 6 members of a Christian religious sect in Patikul, Sulu on August 20, 2002.”
Ausad was the first to be arrested last July 17 on Sultan Kudarat St. in Maharlika, Taguig City after a witness positively identified him as among those involved in the abduction.
This was followed by the arrest of Ajvier on July 20 on Craig St. in Sampaloc, Manila after being identified again by a witness.
The following day, Adzmi and other family members went to the NBI-CTD to ask why Ajvier was arrested.
The NBI-CTD found that Adzmi, who identified himself as the older brother of Ajvier during the visit, was also found to be among those charged in the kidnapping case. He was immediately arrested.
The NBI said the three are now under its custody as they will be transferred to the Special Intensive Care Area (SICA) of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Taguig City.
