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| Southeast Asia | |
| Suspect in Drilon kidnap says he's just an errand boy | |
| 2008-07-22 | |
| One of the arrested suspects in the June 8 kidnapping of broadcast journalist Ces Drilon and three others, including Mindanao State University Professor Octavio Dinampo, said he was only an errand boy of the group that abducted the news team and the professor in Sulu last June. The suspect, identified by authorities as 18-year old Nadzmir Amirul, said that when the kidnappers arrived at their place in the village of Timpook in Patikul, he and another companion were hired to watch over the victims. Aside from serving as guard, Amirul, also known as Abu Kudama, according to the military, cooked and fetched water for the kidnappers and the victims. He said when ransom was paid, he got P50,000 as payment for his services. When asked why the wallet of ABS-CBN cameraman Jimmy Encarnacion was recovered from him during his arrest on Friday, Amirul said it was given to him. Amirul said Encarnacion had asked him to look for his wallet, which was taken by the other abductors, so he could get back his identification cards. He said Encarnacion offered that he could keep the wallet after the cameraman got his ID cards. Amirul said the group of Abu Sayyaf Commander Amlon got about P18 million in ransom. He said the money was put in two bags and was divided among the members of the group. Amirul said he did not know exactly how much the others got as share. Asked about the participation of Indanan town Mayor Alvarez Isnaji in the kidnapping, Amirul said: "This is my first time to hear that name. I do not know him." Isnaji served as chief negotiator for the victim's release. But the mayor and his son Haider were later arrested for allegedly being behind the kidnapping. Dinampo, in an earlier interview, said he was sure the men who held them were members of the Abu Sayyaf group led by Radulan Sahiron. Amirul said he and some of his companions were considered part of the outer group of the Abu Sayyaf, and not that of the inner group led by Radulan Sahiron. "We are the bad guys," he said in the vernacular. Col. Eugene Clemen, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, described Amirul as "very cooperative and is telling the truth." "I am convinced by what he says. Honestly, I myself believe that what he is saying is true," Clemen said. But Rear Admiral Emilio Marayag Jr., commander of the Naval Forces South, said the Abu Kudama he knew had long been arrested. "Abu Kudama is in Manila to face charges in court, apart from this, I have nothing more. Military Intelligence Group 9 arrested him last year," he said referring to Teteng Mandangan.
Major General Benjamin Dolorfino, Marine commandant, said they were positive about Kudama's identity because he was one of those caught in a video secretly taken by the ABS-CBN team. "His arrest will provide a lot of information that would lead to the solution of the case and give justice to the victims," Dolorfino said. | |
| Posted by:Fred |