The Philippine Marines on Thursday arrested a bandit suspected of being part of a group that kidnapped an ABS-CBN news team and a Mindanao peace advocate in Sulu early this month. Col. Eugenio Clemen, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, identified the suspect as Jul Akram Hadjail. He was apprehended in Jolo town.Clemen said Hadjail is a member of the Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandit group and carries a P150,000-bounty on his head. He said the bandit is facing multiple murder and frustrated murder cases.
The arrested Abu Sayyaf members is suspected of playing a role in the kidnapping of ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon and her cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, Clemen said. The news crew was with Professor Octavio Dinampo of the Mindanao State University when abducted by Abu Sayyaf bandits in Indanan town on June 8. Valderama was released four days after the abduction. Drilon and the others were released on June 17.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban, commander of the military's Joint Task Force Comet, on Wednesday announced the discovery of three bodies of suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits. The bodies were found in a forested village of Patikul town, where military forces are tracking down the kidnappers of the news team. Sabban said the bandits in Patikul might be the ones who kidnapped the news team.