CEBU CITY, Philippines — A suspected member of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf was arrested in M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Cebu City, past 11 this morning, February 4, 2020.
Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, director of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) identified the suspect as Jimmy Igpit Marababol, of Labason town, Zamboanga Del Norte.
Marababol was arrested by virtue of a warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Honorable Anthony Isaw, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) ninth Judicial Branch in Liloy on September 2017.
According to De Leon. Marababol was one of the suspects involved in the kidnapping of one Jed Quimbo, son of Labason Mayor, Eddie Quimbo, on September 6, 2017.
Jed was released only last December 30, 2019, after the family paid a total of P23 million ransom to the Idang Susukan group who are allies of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
“He pledged allegiance in 2018 with Dualah Islamiyah,” said De Leon.
The group of Islamiyah was led by Black Moro or Jamilon Wahab who was killed in the same year Marababol joined the group.
De Leon said they are still verifying if Marababol is still active with the group considering that the organization he belonged has been dismantled.
De Leon said that Marababol has been living in a subdivision in Mandaue City for almost a year now and had been fronting as a rice dealer.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Arturo Brual, chief of the regional intelligence Division (RID) who headed the arrest of Marababol, said that they were already monitoring the suspect’s movement after receiving reports that he may be hiding in Cebu.
He said that recently they received information on his whereabouts and his rice dealing business.
Brual said the arrest was made possible after they broke into the contacts of Marababol.
Follow up operations are now being conducted according to De Leon to check if Marababol is living alone or with other ASG members.
The police chief assured the Cebuanos that Cebu is still safe despite the arrest of an ASG member.
“Everything is under control, we are safe in the region.,” said De Leon. /rcg