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This has become a lifelong problem in the country.
“The leader of new Moro rebel group Justice for Islamic Movement (JIM) — Mohammad Ali Tambako — was arrested by policemen and soldiers while he was on board a tricycle in Barangay Calumpang in General Santos City at around 9 p.m. last Sunday, March 15,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
The report noted: “Tambako was allegedly about to go to the city’s seaport when he was arrested. His five other cohorts were also arrested: Datukan Sato Sabiwang, Ali Valley Ludisman, Mesharie Edio Gayak, Abusahma Badrudin Guaimil alias Hansela Omar, and Ibrahim Manap Kapina.”
The report revealed that “three grenades and two short firearms were seized from Tambako’s group.”
Tambako’s broke away from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in 2013. The military claimed that the group has “around 70 armed followers.”
The report added that “the JIM was alleged to be protecting wanted bomber Basit Usman, as well as four Indonesians believed to be members of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and one another foreign terrorist.”
Tambako was subsequently flown out of General Santos City. He is now detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
The encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan 25 left 44 members of the elite Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) dead. The PNP-SAF troopers had been out to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias “Marwan” and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman. Both men had bounties on their heads placed by the U.S. government: US$5 million for Marwan and US$1 million for Usman.
The operation turned bloody when members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said they had to fight back because the PNP-SAF had breached their territory. They alleged that they had not been informed about the operation to get Marwan and Usman. The hostile encounter lasted 11 hours. The MILF lost 18 of their fighters.
Both the government and the MILF are currently doing probes on the Mamasapano encounter to determine what went wrong, as the incident threatens the Bangsamoro peace deal. It has since been revealed that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and even some armed civilians were also involved in the clash.
