Less than a month after the military killed Tahir Alonto, leader of the dreaded Pentagon kidnap gang, and 15 of its members in Maguindanao, government forces shot dead his number-two man on Thursday night also in Maguindanao. Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual, Army spokesman, identified the slain successor of Alonto as Kurato Tapuyak alias Anton, who reportedly took over the leadership of one of the most notorious kidnap-for-ransom gang in Mindanao, when Alonto was killed on August 13.
Pacual said troops from the Army's 604th Infantry Brigade under Col. Jerry Jalandoni encountered Tapuyak and 17 other armed members of the Pentagon gang in barangay Kayaga, Buluan, Maguindanao. Pascual, quoting reports from the field, said Jalandoni's group and members of the Tacurong City police sighted Tapuyak and his men in the boundary of Datu Paglas and Buluan. Pascual said a brief firefight ensued, after which, members of the gang fled leaving behind the body of Tapuyak. On August 13, two Air Force MG-520 attack helicopters bombed the suspected lair of Alonto and his men in sitio Tatak, Midpandan, Sultan Kudarat Pendatun, Maguindanao to flush out suspected members of the Pentagon gang, killing Alonto and 15 of his men. Ground troops from the Marines and the elite Scout Rangers were later sent to conduct clearing operations in the area. The military said earlier that the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) played a key role in the neutralization of Alonto by supplying information about their whereabouts.
Alonto's lair is located in an area where the MILF has a significant presence. The MILF and the government earlier signed a cease-fire agreement while negotiators are crafting a political settlement. Eid "Lipless Eddie" Kabalu, MILF spokesman, said this is part of the front's commitment to help the government against organized crime and terrorism. Kabalu confirmed that the MILF provided the military information on Alonto's whereabouts. |