ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – A woman believed to be the wife of two slain terrorists was captured by soldiers and policemen in an operation Sunday launched by the Joint Task Force Zampelan and the Lanao del Norte PNP.
Soldiers of the 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion led by Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Manalo and the Lanao del Norte police seized a fragmentation hand grenade, six blasting caps and its assembly, detonating cord, a Caliber 9mm Glock 17 Gen 4 with three magazines and 37 pieces of live ammunition from the group of Juromee Pindoy Dongon.
She is believed to be the widow of the late Abu Sayyaf leader Khadaffy Janjalani and Malaysian bomber Zulkifli Bin Hir alyas Marwan, who was the subject of the Jan. 25, 2015 Mamasapano operation in Maguindanao that led to the death of 44 police commandos.
Taken with Dongon at the 4:30 a.m. Sunday raid were SPO4 Andy Ata, and Lorilie Ata at Purok 5, Poblacion, Tubod in Lanao del Norte.
Both Janjalani and Marwan were killed by government forces in separate encounters: Janjalani was killed in Patikul, Sulu in 2006 while Marwan was killed in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in 2015.
Sunday’s operation was launched by virtue of a search warrant issued against Dongon for violations of Republic Act Nos.10591 and 9516.
At almost the same time in a separate operation, a search warrant was served on Romeo Dongon, a.k.a. Faisal, in Sitio Tinago, Barangay San Juan, Baroy, Lanao del Norte. Police took Romeo Dongon (father of Juromee) and and Nur-ain Dongon Santos (sister of Juromee).
Seized from them were a caliber .45 pistol Colt MK1 with three cartridges and a magazine; an M61 fragmentation hand grenade; and several explosive components, including an empty blasting cup, detonating cord, and two electrical wires.
“Operating troops are currently consolidating and coordinating with police counterparts for the processing of the arrested persons and the recovered items,” said Major General Roseller G Murillo, commander of the Joint Task Force Zampelan.
“Our intelligence community was able to trace and track the suspects and was able to file enough evidence to prove that the arrested persons associate, support and cater the needs of terrorists groups in Mindanao.”
The arrested persons and the pieces of evidence were subsequently brought to the tactical command post of the 5th Mechanized Battalion.
In april 2017, Police Superintendent Ma. Cristina Nobleza and alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bomber Renierlo “Ren-Ren” Dongon were arrested by government security forces at a checkpoint in Barangay, Bacani, Clarin on 22 April 2017 amid clashes between the Abu Sayyaf and government troops in Bohol. They were eventually taken into police custody together with Dongon’s mother, Judith, and a minor believed to be his sibling. Juromee is Renierlo Dongon’s sister.
“We will maintain our efforts to deter lawless violence and demilitarize armed groups to support the campaign of the police in Mindanao,” said Lieutenant General Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command.
“We will also further intensify our counter-Daesh campaign particularly sustaining collaboration and support to other law enforcement agencies in the government’s campaign against terrorism.”
