Kidnap suspect nabbed in Sultan Kudarat

SULTAN KUDARAT—Police and military operatives on Thursday arrested in Isulan town a senior member of the Pentagon kidnap gang following a weeklong surveillance operation.

Supt. Joffel Siason, town police chief, identified the arrested suspect as Said Giad, 53, who carries a P175,000 bounty for his arrest.

Siason said Giad, alias “Commander Maestro,” was arrested in Barangay Sampao. He is wanted for extortion and kidnapping cases in the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and South Cotabato, and in Cotabato City.

Siason said Giad is involved in the 2007 kidnapping of five engineers working for the Philippine National Oil Company in North Cotabato.

He said Giad was closely associated with Pentagon gang leader Alonto Tahir. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao