BY MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
Joint military and police units shot dead a suspected sub-leader of a kidnap-for-ransom (KFR)group who allegedly resisted arrest in a pre-dawn operation in Zamboanga City on Wednesday.
Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the military’s Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), identified the slain suspect as Samad Awang alias “Ahmad Jamal” of Sitio Sahaya, Barangay Mampang.
Vinluan said elements of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Zamboanga and Marine Battalion Landing Team 11 augmented cops from Police Regional Office (PRO)-9 who served a warrant of arrest against Awang in his house around 12:30 a.m.
Awang’s arrest warrant for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (Serious Illegal Detention, Kidnapping, and Hostage-taking) was issued by Judge Josefino Bael, of the 9th Judicial Region, Regional Trial Court Branch 31 in Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay.
However, the operatives were met with gunshots when they arrived at Awang’s house to serve the warrant, Vinluan said.
“With their lives in danger, the apprehending team retaliated which resulted in the instantaneous death of Awang,” he said.
According to police, Awang was listed number 25 on the KFRG most wanted list of the Police Regional Office 9.
Colonel Antonio John Divinagracia, commander of JTF Zamboanga, said Awang led the kidnapping of businessman Joel Endino in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay on January 29, 2011.
Awang was also implicated in the abductions of Italian priest Gean Carlos Bossi and teacher Cathy Mae Casipong both in 2007, Divinagracia added.
Authorities recovered inside Awang’s house a loaded .45-caliber pistol, a magazine with seven live ammunition, and two fired bullet casings. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
