Authorities in Philippines said Wednesday that the country's security forces have arrested Abdul Basir Latip, one of the alleged founder members of al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Islamic militant group.
Philippine security forces took Latip into custody upon his arrival at the Manila International Airport, after being transferred from Indonesia. Latip was immediately taken to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office for questioning.
Latip, who is wanted in the United States in connection with the kidnapping of an American missionary 16 years ago, was arrested last month in Indonesia on a tip off from Interpol. According to Philippine police officials, Latip was arrested in Indonesia when he was on his way back to Manila from Syria.
Latip was indicted by a Washington court in 2007 for his involvement in the kidnapping of Protestant missionary Charles Walton by Abu Sayyaf militants in 1993. Walton was kidnapped while working as a linguist on the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo.
Latip had served as the kidnappers' spokesman during Walton's captivity. The abducted missionary was eventually freed after ransom was paid for his release.
Ricardo Diaz, head of the NBI's counter terrorism unit, told reporters on Wednesday that Latip was arrested in Philippines following a request from the U.S. embassy in Manila. Diaz added that Latip's arrest was based on an Interpol warrant, issued two days before Latip was arrested in Indonesia following a request from FBI.
Since his arrest in Manila, Latip has been charged with using a false name on his passport. Diaz said Latip may be extradited to the United States if he faces no other charges in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Latip, who was paraded before journalists in Manila on Wednesday, defended himself by telling reporters that he was traveling under a fake name because he knew the U.S. had announced a reward for his arrest.
Latip also denied being a member of the Abu Sayyaf group, but admitted that he was a friend of Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, who was killed in an encounter with police in 1998. Philippine police authorities, however, rejected his claims and alleged that he was one of the founder members of the infamous militant group.
Janjalani had founded the Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippines in 1990. The small but violent militant group later emerged as one of the most brutal and radical militant groups in southern Philippines, carrying out regular kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.
The organization has, however, weakened considerably in recent years due to joint military operations by the Philippines and United States, which considers Abu Sayyaf to be a terror group.
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