Main suspect in latest Sulu abduction identified

The military on Sunday said it has already identified the leader of the group behind last Friday’s abduction of a Japanese national in Sulu province. Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo, however, refused to give the name as it would hamper ongoing operations to rescue 63-year-old Katayama Mamaito. “We already have a name but we cannot reveal the name of the suspected leader of that group because we are conducting follow up [and] pursuit operations. We don’t want to alarm them (kidnappers)," Arevalo said in a phone interview. Mamaito was kidnapped by a group of 10 men in Sitio Bas, Barangay Bangkilay in Pangutaran town at around 1 p.m. last Friday. Other reports identified him as Toshio Ito. Arevalo said they are now coordinating with the Japanese embassy to determine if the two names appear on their list of nationals staying in the country. “We are identifying his identity because he is using two different names and we are looking for him, together with the Philippine National Police. We are pressing on that effort," he said. A statement on the website of the secessionist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Mamaito is a Muslim convert and a treasure hunter who uses various names like “Amir" and “Doctor." “He (Mamaito) is an ‘amir’ meaning ‘chief’ because he is a convert to Islam, and while in Pangutaran, he put up a pharmacy selling generic medicines," the MILF said, quoting reports reaching it. It said Mamaito arrived in Zamboanga City from Marawi City in 2004, and then proceeded to Pangutaran town. Arevalo said they have yet to determine the group behind the abduction since a number of armed organizations has been known to operate in Sulu, including the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf that was involved in a number of high-profile kidnappings in the past. No ransom has been demanded yet in exchange for Mamaito’s release, Arevalo said. - KBK, GMANews.TV