'Terror group member' deported by US; arrested by PH upon arrival
A suspected member of a terror group which was tagged in the 2018 bombing in General Santos City has been deported by the United States government and arrived in Manila last Feb. 25.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said that upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the suspected member of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maguid terror group was served the arrest order issued by the General Santos City regional trial court (RTC).
The name of the suspect was not disclosed by the NBI which was supported by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) in serving the arrest warrant.
The NBI said the suspect “attempted to evade prosecution by fleeing to the United States.”
“However, the reach of the law proved global. Following his detention by US immigration authorities for violations of immigration laws, he was processed for deportation and met with immediate arrest the moment he touched down on Philippine soil,” it added.
Government authorities tagged the Dawlah Islamiya-Maguid Group as responsible for the 2018 General Santos City bombing where eight civilians were injured, including a three-year-old child.
Citing intelligence reports, the NBI said “the arrested suspect was a key personality who played a central role in both the strategic planning and the execution of the improvised explosive device (IED) attack.”