MILF member in ‘SAF 44’ encounter arrested
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2019 08:57:44 +0000
A Moro Islamic Liberation Front member allegedly involved in the bloody encounter between the elite Philippine National Police-Special Action Force and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the MILF in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015 has been arrested by police.
Tamano Esmail Sabpa, of legal age, was apprehended by joint elements of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cotabato City police.
A report from Police Lt. Col. Mary Grace Madayag, CIDG spokesperson, said Sabpa was caught under “Oplan: Pagtugis” at the parking area of a regional hospital in Cotabato City around 2 p.m. Saturday. Oplan Pagtugis is a police operational plan intended to capture “national level” most wanted persons.
According to the report, police arrested Sabpa through a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Alandrex Betoya, presiding judge of Cotabato City Regional Trial Court 12th Judicial Region Branch 15 dated Jan. 25, 2017 for direct assault with murder.
The report said Sabpa was among the MILF and BIFF fighters ho engaged the SAF troopers deployed for “Oplan: Exodus,” a special mission to neutralize or capture Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli Abdhir, alias “Marwan,” in Barangay Tukanalipao in Mamasapano on Jan. 25, 2015.
Marwan was killed by the government forces but 44 elite cops, now known as the SAF 44, were shot dead by the MILF and BIFF in a surprise attack.
According to the police report, an identification card detailing the membership of Sabpa with the MILF was recovered from the suspect.
Sabpa was brought to the CIDG-ARMM station in Cotabato City for documentation. The court has recommended no bail for the suspect. (Martin A. Sadongdong)