Alleged terrorist leader cornered in Marawi City

Police arrested on Friday the suspected leader of the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM), a group linked to a number of bomb attacks in the country in the past years, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. Khalil Pareja, originally named Dinno Amor Rosalejos Pareja, was arrested Friday at 1:15 p.m in Marawi City in the southern Philippines, said a PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Leonardo Espina in a text message. Espina quoted a report of the PNP Intelligence Group as saying Pareja was cornered in the village of Tuca in Barangay Dayawan, Marawi, by operatives of the Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) and elements of the Lanao del Sur provincial police. Pareja was arrested on the strength of an warrant for the crime of rebellion issued June 6, 2006 by Judge Marissa Macaraig-Guillen of Branch 60 of the National Capital Judicial Region, Makati City. No bail was recommended for the temporary liberty of Pareja, who also uses the name Abu Jihad and Al-Luzoni. Espina said Pareja belongs to the core group of the RSM and is believed to have taken over the leadership of the terror group after the arrest of Hilarion “Akmad" Santos in 2005. Pareja is listed as one of the top most wanted terrorists in the country with a P500,000 reward. International distinction He is one of the seven members of the RSM who have been tagged by the US Department of the Treasury as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). The RSM, said to be composed of Filipino Christians who have converted to Islam, has been tagged by the United States government as a terrorist group linked to the Al-Qaeda of Osama Bin Laden According to the The US Department of Treasury , Pareja was born on July 19, 1981 in Cebu City and has resided in Atimonan, Quezon province. It said Pareja was the key operative in the August 2005 twin bombings in Zamboanga City which wounded 26 people. He also alleged led a group in casing bombing targets in Cebu City in November 2006 for an attack planned to coincide with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit. He reportedly took direct orders from senior Abu Sayyaf Group leader Jainal Sali, now deceased, to conduct the attack. Also tagged by the department as SDGTs were: • Angelo Ramirez Trinidad from Gattaran in Cagayan province, who is also known as Khalil Trinidad, Khulil Trinidad, Abu Khalil Trinidad, Calib Trinidad, Kalib Trinidad and Adrian Tomas; • Pio Abogne De Vera of Concepcion, Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija province, also known as Pio Abogue de Vera, Leo M. Obogne, Ismael de Vera, Ismail de Vera, Esmael de Vera, and Manex Tito Art; • Redendo Cain Dellosa of Punta in Santa Ana, Manila, also known as Jabil Dellosa, Hakid Akmal, Habil Akmad Dellosa, Habil Ahmad Dellosa, Reendo Cain Dellos, Ahmad Dellosa, Abu Ilonggo, Abu Muadz, Brandon Berusa and Arnulfo Alvarado; • Feliciano Semborio Delos Reyes Jr. from Lamitan, Basilan province, also known as Feliciano de los Reyes, Feleciano Semborio Delos Reyes, Feleciano Delos Reyes y Semberio, Feliciano Abubakar De Los Reyes, Ustadz Abubakar Delos Reyes, Abubakar Reyes, Ustadz Abubakar Abdillah, Abubakar Abdillah, Abdul Abdillah and Jorge Castro; • Ricardo Perez Ayeras of Barangay Poblacion, Mandaluyong City, also known as Ricardo Abdulkarim Ayeras, Ricardo Abdulkareem Ayeras, Ricky Ayeras, Abdul Kareem Ayeras, Abdul Karem Ayeras, Abdul Karim Ayeras, Abdul Karim Ayers, Khalil Ayeras, Isaac Jay Galang Perez, Jay Perez and Abdul Mujib; and • Ruben Pestano Lavilla Jr. of Lambunao in Iloilo province and Caloocan City, also known as Reuben Omar Lavilla, Omar Lavilla, Reuben Lavilla, Ahmad Omar Sharief, Shaykh Omar Lobilla, Omar Labella, Reymund Lavilla, Mile D. Lavilla, Mike De Lavilla, Abdullah Muddaris and Ramo Lavilla. - GMANews.TV