Suspected ISIS leader, Filipina partner arrested in Manila

Joint operatives from Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nabbed Fehmi Lassqued alias John Rasheed Lassqued in Malate, Manila with his Filipina girlfriend Anabel Salipada. (Photo: Civil Relations Service AFP/Facebook)

Government forces arrested an Egyptian national linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) and his alleged Filipina partner in Malate, Manila over the weekend.

Joint operatives from Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) nabbed Fehmi Lassqued alias John Rasheed Lassqued in Malate, Manila with his Filipina girlfriend Anabel Salipada, PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa announced on Monday.

According to the PNP, Lassqued, 33, and Salipada, 32, of Upi, Maguindanao were presented yesterday by dela Rosa and Commander of AFP-Civil Relations Service (CRS) Brigadier General Bienvenido Datuin Jr. at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Citing declassified reports, dela Rosa said Lassqued was a former negotiator and ISIS commander in Syria. He is now an active ISIS recruiter of prospected Filipino terrorist fighters.

By the virtue of a search warrant issued by a local court, both Lassqued and Salipada were arrested in Room 409 at Casa Blanca Apartment, Adriatico Street in Ermita.

Dela Rosa explained that the Egyptian national has been staying in the country since July 2016 and has been wandering “in and out of Manila” throughout his stay. The PNP chief added that he entered the country bearing a fake Tunisian passport.

Authorities seized assorted firearms, ammunition, illegal explosives, and a black ISIS flag from the two suspects.

“We received an information from our foreign counterparts about him, then we did a case buildup and it turned out the information was positive. We applied the search warrant,” dela Rosa was quoted as saying in a Manila Bulletin report.

Dela Rosa said he considered the possibility that the suspected ISIS leader has already contacted interested Filipino terrorists, but said he is not certain with the exact number of Lassqued’s recruits.

“If he can recruit via the Internet, how much more if he is already here, he has physical contact with possible recruits. Most likely, anybody can be recruited, those idealist children,” he added.

Meanwhile, Lassqued dismissed the allegations of the authorities, stressing that he “was ISIS before.” Before he could even give his full explanation, he was taken away by the police and was brought to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Action Center together with his partner.

The PNP pressed charges with the DOH against the suspected ISIS member and his Filipina partner for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.