Manila : The Philippines government will prosecute an alleged founder of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) on terror charges, following his arrest and extradition from Indonesia based on Federal Bureau of Investigation inputs, an investigator told Gulf News.
Baser Sulaiman Latip, also known as Rahim Malek Suwaib, will be charged in the Philippines in connection with two incidents attributed to the ASG in the south in 2001 and 1993. The ASG abducted both US and Philippine nationals in the two high-profile incidents, said a high-level investigator of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who requested anonymity. "He will still undergo trial here."
Latip was escorted back to the Philippines on Wednesday by Jose de Guzman of the Philippine Consulate in Jakarta and Superintendent Roel de Leon, attaché of the Philippine National Police.
The FBI's request was made to Indonesian authorities on November 19 and Latip was on his way back to Manila from Syria when arrested on November 21, the official said.
The US government has requested for Latip's extradition, but the request would only be considered if the justice department fails to file criminal and terror charges against Latip in a local court, the official said. Latip is currently being detained at NBI's Manila office.
