AUTHORITIES arrested on Friday morning, November 20, 2020, two suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Basilan, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas said.
They were identified as Ranger Season and Munjiral Kabole.
Sinas said Siason was arrested in Barangay Aguada in Isabela City during the service of a search warrant against him for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Confiscated from Siason’s possession were two fragmentation grenades, two 40-mm-high explosive shells, 30 rounds of 5.56mm rifle ammunition, four kilograms of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) explosives, six caliber 50 shells and an ISIS flag.
PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said Siason is responsible for the procurement and transport of explosives and ammunition for the ASG based in Basilan.
Siason was also identified as among those involved in the Abu Sayyaf rampage in Barangay Tubigan, Maluso, Basilan on August 1, 2017, where nine residents were killed and some of the houses were set on fire.
He will be charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
In a separate operation at 4:45 a.m. Friday, police arrested Kabole in Barangay Saluping of the island municipality of Tabuan-Lasa in Basilan.
Kabole has a standing arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Usana said Kabole is a principal suspect in the kidnapping of Hja Sadday Jalal sometime in 2009 in Sumisip, Basilan.
“He is also involved in the series of attacks on PNP and AFP forces in Basilan province. Kabole is under the command of the notorious ASG sub-Leader Pasil Bayali,” said Usana.
The operation against Siason was conducted by the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) of Police Regional Office in Zamboanga Peninsula, 5th Special Action Battalion (SAB) and 84th Special Action Company (Seaborne) of the Rapid Deployment Battalion (RDB) of PNP Special Action Force.
The operation against Kabole was initiated by the PNP Intelligence Group backed by operatives from PNP-SAF, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Marines, and Basilan Police Provincial Office. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)