3 Sayyafs killed in hostage drama in Philippine police headquarters

MANILA - Police shot dead three Abu Sayyaf detainees on Sunday following a failed attempt to escape from the custodial facility of the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, officials said.

Officials said the Arnel Cabintoy, Abduljihad Susukan and Feliciano Sulayao Jr. also stabbed a police guard, Cpl. Roger Agustin, with a knife while he was delivering food at the custodial center.  Another policeman saw the incident and shot two of the attackers - Cabintoy and Susukan - while Sulayao ran to the cell of detained former senator Leila de Lima and took her hostage. 

Sulayao was eventually shot and killed by a sharp shooter. De Lima, who is facing drug charges, was unscathed from the harrowing ordeal which started at 6:30 a.m. and ended around 7:18 a.m.  

PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. has ordered an investigation into the incident. "Tension inside the detention facility has been defused and the situation has returned to normal while investigation is ongoing to review the security protocols inside the PNP Custodial. That is all we can tell you at the moment. We will keep you posted on other developments as more information becomes available," said Azurin.  

Susukan, alias Idang, Idang Susukan - whose group is behind the series of cross-border kidnappings in Sabah and gruesome attacks on soldiers and beheading of civilians, surrendered to Nur Misuari, chieftain of the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF, in Sulu province in April 2020. 

Misuari allegedly brought Susukan in Davao City - President Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown - to have him fitted with a prosthetic replacement for his left arm, which he lost during a battle with security forces in Sulu province in 2019, according to an exclusive report by Malaysia’s The Star newspaper. 

But then Army Major Arvin Encinas, then a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, said they have no official confirmation on Susukan’s surrender to Misuari, or his trip to Davao. “We have no confirmation of Susukan’s surrender to Misuari or his reported trip to Davao City. We consider Susukan a wanted man,” Encinas told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Susukan had been involved in ransom kidnappings in Sabah since 2013 and among his victims were Chinese national Gao Huayun and Filipina Marcy Darawan, who were abducted at Singamata Reef Resort in Semporna waters on April 2, 2014. And Malaysian Chan Sai Chun, who was snatched from his fish farm in Kampung Sapang in Kunak on June 16,2014, including Sabah restaurateur Thien Nyuk Fan, who were kidnapped from Ocean King Seafood Restaurant in Sandakan on May 14, 2015. He was also the key kidnapper and executioner of the 39-year old Malaysian engineer Bernard Then, who was beheaded in November 2015.  

Misuari was forced to surrender the notorious Abu Sayyaf leader after security forces learned that the former rebel leader was sheltering Susukan in Davao City.  Then PNP Chief Gen. Archie Gamboa made the announcement that Misuari handed over Susukan. 

Gamboa said Misuari handed over Susukan to authorities following a negotiation. Susukan was staying in Misuari’s house at Yñigue Subdivision in the village of Maa when police took custody of the terror leader. He said the police negotiated with Misuari to surrender Susukan after confirming his presence in his house. (Mindanao Examiner)