By Ronron
January 31, 2008
An Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) sub-leader believed to be involved in the abduction attempt and slay of a Catholic priest in Tawi-tawi last January 15 was killed in an encounter Thursday against Marine elements.
Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ben Dolorfino identified the slain bandit who has a P2.5 million bounty on his head as Wahab Opao.
Dolorfino said Opao died in an encounter against elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 at around 5:30 am yesterday at Sitio Luboc-luboc, Barangay Buan, Panglima Sugala town.
His body was recovered, along with an M14 rifle, a bandoleer of ammunition, and alleged ASG document, said Dolorfino.
“It is confirmed that Wahab Opao is an ASG high-value target with P2.5 million reward. He was involved in the Sipadan (kidnapping) incident (in 2000) and some bombings in Zamboanga City,” Dolorfino said.
Dolorfino said elements of the MBLT 2’s Special Operations Platoon and Force Reconnaissance Company were in pursuit against the killers of Fr. Rey Roda who also abducted Omar Taup, a teacher in Roda’s Notre Dame school in South Ubian town, when they encountered Opao’s group.
Opao was allegedly joined by the group of ASG sub-leader Asman Wajan at that time. Their strength, however, could not be ascertained by the Marine fighters because it was still dark at that time.
The encounter lasted for one hour, said Dolorfino, leaving Opao killed as the others scampered to escape.
Dolorfino said because of the dimness, the Marines were not able to find out also if Opao’s group brought Taup along with them.
Dolorfino said the military suspects that Opao’s group was really involved in the attempted abduction of Roda at the Notre Dame campus in Barangay Tabawan because there is no other bandit group that operates on the islet.
But he admitted that there is no witness who could positively identify Opao because the perpetrators were wearing bonnet when they raided the campus.
Dolorfino said the death of Opao is “a big blow to their organization as far as Tawi-tawi is concerned.”
On Wednesday, the police had said that the abductors of Taup demanded P1 million from the teacher’s family in exchange for his release.
Tawi-tawi Police Director Sr. Supt. Wainwright Taup said he also received information that the abducted teacher was already brought to Sulu by his captors.
Roda was brutally killed by the suspects after he allegedly refused to be taken along. When he was killed, the suspects brought instead Taup to shield them from possible attack by responding policemen.
Roda, who serves as Director of Notre Dame in South Ubian, had been living on the islet for over 10 years already, according to police./DMS
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