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Thursday, February 21, 2008
Ex-Abu man: Dulmatin led Fr. Roda's abduction
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomber Dulmatin spearheaded the abduction of a priest-director and a teacher of a Catholic-run secondary school last January in the province of Tawi-Tawi, said 28-year-old Alfa Moha.
Moha is a former member of the JI and al-Qaeda linked Abu Sayyaf group who recently surrendered to the military authorities stationed in Tawi-Tawi.
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"I was waiting at the motorized banca when Dulmatin and the others barged into the school. While waiting I heard gunshots," Moha told reporters in front of military officials and personnel at the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) headquarters.
Westmincom deputy chief Brigadier General Ricardo Garcia presented Moha to reporters at the Westmincom's command information office on Tuesday afternoon.
Fr. Jesus Reynaldo Roda, the director of Notre Dame High School in Tabawan Island, South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi, was killed around 8:30 p.m. of January 15. Fr. Roda's companion, Omar Taup, was hogtied and brought along by Dulmatin's group.
The group of Dulmatin, which numbered around 10 people, barged into the Notre Dame compound with the intention of kidnapping Fr. Roda, but killed the priest when he resisted them.
Moha claimed no knowledge where Taup was held hostage citing he disengaged from the group just after the January 31st clash with military troops in Panglima Sugala town.
The captors of Taup have demanded a P1 million ransom in exchange for his release.
Moha confirmed that Dulmatin, who they call as Bin, was wounded in the clash last January but was able to escape from pursuing military troops.
Moha said he disengaged from Dulmatin's group after realizing that what they are doing is not good. He surrendered to the military authorities in Tawi-Tawi on Thursday of last week.
Moha said Dulmatin befriended and enticed him to join the group when they met last month in Sitio Lobbok, Barangay Buan, Panglima Sugala.
"I was with the group for 25 days," he revealed. He is now in the custody of the military in Zamboanga City.
On Monday, combined military and police operatives have exhumed a body believed to be that of Dulmatin and subjected it to Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) test.
The body was buried on Tuesday afternoon in a cemetery in Zamboanga City following proper Muslim rites at the Mosque of Westmincom.
The US government is offering up to $10 million reward for the capture of Dulmatin, who along with another JI bomber Umar Patek, was tagged as the masterminds in the 2002 Bali resort bombing in Indonesia that killed 202 people.
Dulmatin, whose complete name is Amar Usmanan, is believed to be with the Abu Sayyaf group since 2003 and was involved in providing explosive expertise and training to other militants. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (February 21, 2008 issue)
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