FREED. Farmer Rex Triplitt of Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte walks to a waiting ambulance after being rescued from his Abu Sayyaf captors Wednesday morning, Sept. 30, 2020. FILE PHOTO FROM SIRAWAI POLICE STATION
MANILA, Philippines — Police on Tuesday nabbed one of the suspects allegedly behind the Sept. 16 kidnapping of Rex Triplitt, a farmer in Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
In a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Camilo Cascolan on Wednesday, Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo, director of PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG), identified the suspect as Anerson Tungayao, 64, resident of Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte.
Estomo said the AKG Mindanao Field Office, Police Regional Office 9 Intelligence Division, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9, Military Intelligence Group 9, Regional Maritime Unit 9, and Zamboanga City Police Office launched the entrapment operation against Tungayao along the shoreline of Barangay Arena Blanco in Zamboanga City at 5:30 p.m.
Tungayao, who was carrying an M16 rifle, was immediately apprehended by the law enforcers during the operation, Estomo said.
Another suspect Injam Yadah, who is also an accomplice in the kidnapping of Triplitt, managed to escape the arrest.
Prior to Tungayao’s arrest, Estomo said the suspects were supposed to launch another kidnapping in the area when the police foiled their plan.
Tungayao is now under the custody of PNP-AKG.
To recall, Triplitt was rescued from his captors at Zamboanga del Norte province last Sept. 29 with the help of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
The military said the captors of the farmer are allegedly allied with an Abu Sayyaf Group led by Yadah.