INQUIRER file photo / ALEXIS CORPUZ
MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Immigration (BI) reports the personal details of an elderly man arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) match the records of a fugitive listed in the Red Notice of International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
The apprehended person was identified as 62-year-old Mohammad Maca-Antal Said, while the name of the fugitive is “Ama Maas.”
Maas was charged in connection with the beheading of two Marines in Patikul, Sulu during an encounter between government forces and Abu Sayyaf in 2011.
This information comes from National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
“Doon po sa Red Notice, ang pangalan niya po ay tugmang-tugma, including the middle name, including the date of birth, including the place of birth, including the passport number,” BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in a Radyo 360 interview on Wednesday.
(In the Red Notice, his name is exactly the same, including the middle name, including the date of birth, including the place of birth, and the passport number.)
“Yung old passport number po niya na ginamit,” she pointed out.
( The old passport number was used.)
“So iyun po ang naging basis of our immigration personnel to turn him over po to the NBI, which will conduct the investigation and arrest,” she added.
(So those were the basis of our immigration personnel in turning him over to the NBI, which will conduct the investigation and arrest.)
Interpol’s Red Notice also includes a small pixelated photo of the fugitive.
Local authorities are still comparing this picture with arrested person Said.
The case of the arrested elderly was raised by Senator Robin Padilla in a privilege speech on Tuesday.
He called this incident as an instance of mistaken identity.
Padilla said the elderly was nabbed at Naia Terminal 3 on August 10.
Said was supposed to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but an immigration officer found an outstanding warrant of arrest for kidnapping with homicide issued against him.
He was brought to New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa city.