After nearly 20 years, wanted ASG member falls
Another suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) member was arrested in Metro Manila this week. In a statement on Friday, Philippine National Police spokesperson Police Col. Bernard Banac announced the arrest on Wednesday of Aldemar Murih Saiyari, who is facing kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges in court for the 2000 abduction in Sidapan, Malaysia. Saiyari has been working as a security guard and assigned to a corporate building in Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Saiyari was brought to the Southern Police District camp in Fort Bonifacio for processing and detention. —Jaymee T. Gamil
2 South Koreans in illegal online gambling nabbed
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested two South Koreans involved in illegal online gaming operation that duped a number of their compatriots. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that suspects Lee Jong-jin and Chae Kwang-beom now face deportation after they were arrested on Thursday by BI personnel at their house in Clark Hills Subdivision in Angeles City, Pampanga province. The two are wanted in South Korea for violating their country’s game industry promotion act. Morente said that Lee and Chae, who arrived in the country in July and August last year, respectively, started operating their online racket in Angeles in January by allegedly using three private servers which falsified the popular registered online game “Lineage 1.” He added that it was through this scheme that the suspects were able to receive an undisclosed amount of cash from their subscribers. Apart from Lee and Chae, who were held at BI’s detention facility in Taguig City, two of their alleged cohorts, believed to still be in the country, are also being hunted down by immigration personnel. —JOVIC YEE
PNP: Nearly 5,000 arrested for gun ban violation
Nearly 5,000 people have been apprehended nationwide for violating the election gun ban since the election period began on Jan. 13. On Friday, the Philippine National Police announced that 4,729 people were already nabbed for the violation in 576,983 police operations, mostly during police patrol, some during the service of search or arrest warrants, and some in checkpoints. Of those arrested, 4,449 were civilians while 79 were security guards, 75 government and elected officials, 38 police officers, 31 members of “threat groups,” 17 military personnel, 12 other law enforcers, nine members of civilian auxiliary units for the army, eight members of private armed groups, four jail personnel, and nine foreign nationals. PNP spokesperson Police Col. Bernard Banac said that over the election period to date, the PNP has so far confiscated a total of 3,942 firearms and 35,967 deadly weapons including explosives and blades. The gun ban will be in place until June 12, well past the May 13 elections. —Jaymee T. Gamil