Who are the 3 who tried to escape, one of them taking former Senator Leila de Lima hostage inside Camp Crame?
MANILA, Philippines – The man who caught former senator Leila de Lima hostage at the Philippine National Police (PNP) detention center on Sunday, October 9, was just one of three who attempted to escape, but failed to escape.
They were said to have been “neutralized” at first, but police later confirmed that this meant they were all killed.
Police also said the three men were involved in the stabbing of a police officer during their escape attempt.
Since they were all being held in the high security prison, they were all considered high-profile suspects.
Who are they and what are their backgrounds? Here are quick facts about them.
Feliciano Sulayao Jr: De Lima’s Hostage Taker
Feliciano Sulayao Jr. was De Lima’s hostage taker.
He managed to elude the cops during his escape attempt on Sunday morning and made his way to the former senator’s cell before taking her hostage.
Police Special Action Force soldiers attempted to negotiate with him, but they failed to reach an agreement, forcing the cops to shoot him.
Sulayao was arrested in June 2019 for allegedly illegally carrying firearms and explosives to Tandang Sora in Quezon City.
He is suspected of belonging to Dawlah Islamiyah (DI), a terrorist group associated with the Maute group. Police said earlier that he was part of a DI group that was under Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, and he helped the Maute group set up the Siege of Marawi.
Sulayao was believed to have fled to Metro Manila after Marawi terrorists began losing ground in 2019.
Arnel Cabintoy: failed escapee linked to hostage taker
Arnel Cabintoy was killed by police before he could escape from the detention center.
He was arrested along with Sulayao in June 2019, also on the same charges, and was suspected of belonging to the same terrorist unit.
According to previous police reports, Cabintoy was a Christian. He worked as an air conditioning technician in Saudi Arabia. From there, he converted to Islam.
Idang Susukan: related to Abu Sayyaf
Idang Susukan was another failed escapee whom police killed before he could leave the high-security compound.
Unlike the other two who attempted to escape, Susukan was not an alleged Dawlah Islamiyah member, but was instead suspected of being part of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Susukan was taken into custody in August 2020 after facing 34 arrest warrants for murder and kidnapping in the southern Philippines and northern Malaysia. (READ: 5 government soldiers killed in clash with Abu Sayyaf in Sulu)
He was also not arrested after going into hiding. Instead, he was handed over to the police through the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). His transfer was facilitated by the president of the MNLF Nour Misuari in Davao City. – Rappler.com
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