By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) acting director Police Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil Jr. confirmed they are validating the claim of a man arrested in Silay who said he is a relative of a slain terrorist.
Castil echoed the sentiments of Silay City police deputy Police Senior Insp. Ramil Robles, saying Absner Kudarat’s statements are all mere allegations and they would not immediately jump into the conclusion without proper investigation.
“Anybody can claim they are the nephew of whoever, so we have to validate what they said, so that the public will know the true facts,” Castil stressed.
Castil also assured the public in Negros Occidental that there is no ASG presence in the region, but appealed to locals to report any suspicious activities by unidentified and unfamiliar persons as a prevention measure.
“If we find the situation alarming, we will announce it for we do not want the public to be surprised,” he said.
He also added NOPPO is coordinating with other agencies, especially with their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), as they are the ones keeping relevant information of all former ASG members who surrendered and returned to the fold of the government and society.
Earlier, Kudarat and his other relative Saldy Habibullah were arrested by police after they allegedly pointed a .45 caliber pistol at a local resident in Silay City.
Kudarat claimed, during an interrogation by police, he is a nephew of Abu Sabaya, a leader and spokesperson of the Abu Sayyaf terror group killed in a military operation in Zamboanga Del Norte in 2002.
He also claimed to have surrendered to government forces in 2004, before deciding to migrate in the province to start a new life./WDJ