Nabbed drug suspect turns out to be Abu Sayyaf member

DUAL PERSONALITY | Police present Abu bandit Fahad Dumayag. (Photo courtesy of the Southern Police District )

MANILA, Philippines  — A man who was earlier arrested on drug charges turned out to be a member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group involved in the 2001 Lamitan siege and the 2002 kidnapping of six members of the Jehovah’s Witness.

Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, director of the Southern Police District, identified the arrested suspect as 31-year-old Fahad Dumayag, alias Rustom and Abu Cola. Macaraeg said Dumayag was arrested on Jan. 28 in a buy-bust operation in Taguig City.

Seized from him were 12 grams of crystal meth (shabu) worth P81,600, an M203 grenade launcher, and a rifle grenade.

A confidential informant later revealed that Dumayag was a member of the Abu Sayyaf, which Dumayag eventually admitted, according to Macaraeg.

“A victim-witness physically identified Abu Cola as one of her kidnappers and a member of [Abu Sayaff],” Macaraeg said.

Dumayag has been in detention at Taguig City Police Station.

Macaraeg said the suspect was under leaders Ispilon Hapilon, Nur Hassan Jamiri, and a certain Undanan. Hapilon was killed in October 2017 while Jarmiri surrendered in March 2018.

—DEXTER CABALZA

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