Marohombsar's brother held

The military has arrested Ismael Marohombsar, brother of fugitive kidnap-for-ransom gang leader Faizal Marohombsar, in the southern Philippines, the military said in a belated report.

Brigadier General Alfonso Dagudag, commander of the army's fifth infantry division said elements of the 401st infantry brigade arrested Ismael, wanted for kidnapping, at his hideout in Malabang village in Lanao del Sur, before noon, on Friday. He was turned over to the Northern Mindanao police late in the afternoon.

Ismael was the 'right hand man' of Faizal, the suspected leader of the Pentagon kidnap gang who escaped from police custody in a suburban Quezon City police headquarters, last June.

Marohombsar has been trying to surrender to President Gloria Arroyo.

Ismael was the negotiator of the Pentagon group. He was also involved in 'dirty work' for the Pentagon, said Dagudag.

He was believed to be behind the kidnapping of Enrique Pelaez, son of the former vice president Emmanuel Pelaez, on November 23, 2000. Pelaez was able to escape after a few months.

Ismael was a suspect in the kidnapping of Rachel Ann Valmoria, a nurse from Cagayan De Oro City, in November 2000, Dr Epifania Asetre of Parang, Maguindanao, in May 2000, Chinese engineer Zhong Zhang Quiang who worked for the government's irrigation project in Carmen, Cotabato, in July 2001, and four other Chinese nationals, working for the government's infrastructure project, in August 2001.

The presidential palace made a mistake three times in wrongly announcing the surrender of Faizal.