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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Saturday, May 20, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Police were still validating the claim of a Basilan province native arrested in Silay City, Negros Occidental that he was a nephew of an Abu Sayyaf Group leader.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) was still ascertaining if there was any truth to what Absner “Abu Rafi Ben” Kudarat told the operatives who caught him for training a firearm on a local.
“Anybody can claim they are a nephew of somebody,” said Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., acting Nocppo director. “We have to validate the claim so the public would know the real story.”
Kudarat told Provincial Public Safety Battalion operatives during interrogation that he was a nephew of an Abu Sayyaf leader but did not disclose who, according to Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, Police Regional Office 18 spokesperson.
Some news organizations reported that Kudarat was related to Abu Sabaya — born Aldam Tilao, an Abu Sayyaf leader killed by government forces in 2002 — attributing the information to Vargas.
Kudarat, 29, and relative Saldy “Starring” Abebolah, 25 — both natives of Isabela City, Basilan — were arrested on May 15 for training a .45-caliber pistol at a resident of Hacienda San Diego, Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City, where they were also staying.
The pistol, a Colt Mark IV (serial number 748974), with a magazine loaded with six live bullets and a hand grenade were seized from Kudarat.
Abebolah, on the other hand, yielded a homemade .357-caliber revolver with 12 live bullets and an empty shell.
Everything the suspects told the police was subject to validation in cooperation with concerned law enforcement agencies, Castil said.
Castil assured the public of their safety. He said the Nocppo will make an announcement if there will be any threat or alarm./PN
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