3 former execs, 4 others tagged in Zambo blast

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A former congressman and two ex-mayors of Sulu province were tagged as masterminds in the August 5 bombing of the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA), a top police official said.

The bombing outside the arrival area of ZIA resulted in the death of two people and injury of 24 others, including Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan and a British national.

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Zamboanga City Police Director Edwin Corvera identified the alleged masterminds as former Sulu second district congressman Munir Arbison, and former mayors Ahmad Nanoh and Najib Maldisa of Pangutaran and Maimbung towns, Sulu, respectively.

Corvera also implicated Maulana Omar, a resident of Sta. Catalina village, east of this city; Jojo Adam, Musimar Alih and Munir Hadjirul, all with unknown addresses, in the August 5 bombing.

Corvera said the Task Force ZIA, which is handling the investigation on the bombing, has already forwarded supplemental documents last Thursday to the City Prosecutor's Office.

The seven suspects were already included in the charge sheet the task force has filed earlier for the charges of multiple frustrated murder, attempted murder and violation of Republic Act (RA) 9516.

Earlier, Task Force ZIA filed multiple frustrated murder, attempted murder and violation of RA 9516 against Addong Salahuddin, Allan Sabuddin, and another unidentified suspect in relation to the August 5 bombing.

Corvera said the recommendation for the inclusion of the three former elected officials and the other four suspects were based on the testimonies of four witnesses who executed sworn affidavits.

He said two of the four witnesses are cousins of Maldisa.

"They voluntarily gave their statements in order to expose their knowledge about the assassination plot of the Sulu chief executive," he said.

Corvera said the main target of the bombing was Tan, who was among the passengers of the commercial plane that arrived in Zamboanga City from Manila last August 5.

"According to the witnesses, the plan to assassinate the Sulu governor has been carried out on the latter part of the year 2008, which was planned by the three known personalities," he added.

He said one of the witnesses who implicated the former mayor of Maimbung in the bombing was employed as errand by Maldisa.

After weeks of working as errand, Corvera said the witness was advised to dress properly and told to proceed to the residence of Omar in Barangay Sta. Catalina, this city.

The witness saw Arbison, Maldisa and Nanoh with several escorts when he arrived at Omar's residence, Corvera said.

"He (the witness) was advised to hand the deed of sale of a vehicle and handed it to the ex-mayor of Pangutaran. There he learned that the said vehicle is to be utilized as car bomb," Corvera said.

He said another witness tagged Maulana, Hadjirul, Adam and Alih and a certain Addong as being involved in the August 5 airport bombing.

Corvera said Maulana, Hadjirul, Adam, Alih and Addong visited his uncle at Barangay Sta. Barbara after the May 10 elections and sought assistance to provide a motorcycle with driver and another person to help Addong assassinate Tan. About P5 million was offered.

However, the witness and his uncle failed to provide the request of the group.

According to Corvera, another witness said Maldisa invited him and his cousin on the last week of July 2010 in Maimbung, Sulu to visit the former mayor in Zamboanga City.

"They (the witness and his cousin) proceeded to Zamboanga City and stayed at the house of the former chief executive (Maldisa) of the said municipality (Maimbung)," Corvera said.

"During their breakfast, ex-mayor Nanoh joined them, wherein moments later, the ex-congressman arrived and also joined them at the dining table," he added.

Corvera said the three former officials requested the witness and his cousin to deliver explosives at the ZIA. The witness and his cousin, however, declined the request and "went home to their respective hometowns."

Superintendent Edwin Diocos, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Zamboanga Peninsula, said the witnesses' testimonies are sufficient enough for formal charges to be filed against the officials and the other suspects in the August 5 bombing. (Bong Garcia/Sunnex)