Sinas to set dialogue with Hataman on identity of ‘ASG sub-leader’

PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas. (Photo from PNP PIO)

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas said Monday that he will set a dialogue with Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman after the latter countered the claim of the police that the man they arrested is a sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

“I will arrange for a visit and a dialogue sa kanya. What we are doing is may record po kami, meron pong data na cinocollate ang IG (Intelligence Group) natin at hindi ko rin po pwede balewalain ‘yun kasi PNP data po ‘yun, PNP records po ‘yun,” Sinas said in a press briefing.

(I will arrange a visit and dialogue with him. We have a record and data collated by IG which I cannot discount because that is PNP data.)

Hataman earlier called out the PNP for identifying Hadji Faisal Abdulkarim as an ASG sub-leader despite the suspect having been seen with a military commander and a Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) official during a community groundbreaking ceremony.

Sinas said he will not disregard the comment of Hataman.

“The allegation, the comment of congressman is comment po niya ‘yun, at hindi ko naman po i-disregard ‘yun. Magko-coordinate po kami sa kanya,” said the PNP chief.

(The allegation of the congressman is his comment and I will not disregard that. I will coordinate with him.)

According to PNP, Abdulkarim is wanted for the 2014 killing of a barangay official and was arrested in Barangay Matata in Basilan on December 12.

However, Hataman, in a Facebook post, showed a picture of a man resembling Abdulkarim who was with 18th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Colonel Egverr Jonathan Abutin and BTA member MP Ustadz Alzad Satta during a recent groundbreaking ceremony in Barangay Matata.

JPV