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Saturday, May 13, 2006
Group wants Islamic state in RP
The Rajah Solaiman Revolutionary Movement (RSRM), according to Deputy Regional Director for Operations Senior Supt. Lani-o Nerez, is a group bent on converting the entire country to the Islamic faith through the Balik Islam movement.
The group has ties to the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah, which are both linked to the al-Qaeda network.
The Jamestown Foun-dation’s global terrorism analysis, in its website, says the RSRM “represents a highly fanatical fringe element of Balik Islam – a legal movement of Christian converts (or reverts as they like to be known) to the Muslim faith.”
This group was founded in January 2002 by Ahmed Islam Santos, a Catholic who became a Muslim in 1993. Santos was a former Saudi-based overseas worker.
Arrest
Santos, reportedly a former member of the Abu Sayyaf Group, was arrested in September 2005 and charged with inciting to rebellion, which is a non-bailable offense.
He is being held in a maximum-security facility located at the Camp Aguinaldo complex in Manila.
In December last year, the military also arrested RSRM’s second in command, Pio de Vera.
Initial tactical investigation revealed that the RSM had planned to bomb nightspots in Metro Manila.
The RSRM has been tagged as responsible for the explosion on SuperFerry 14 in February 2004, which killed 116 passengers.
They were also held responsible for the synchronized bombings during Valentine’s Day in 2005 that targeted public places in Manila and General Santos City and the airport area in Davao City.
Nerez said the group also took part in the Rizal Day bombing at the LRT station in Malate, Manila as well as blasts in Basilan and Zamboanga.
Just last month, authorities raided a house in Marikina City on the strength of a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Antonio Eugenio Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24.
The raid yielded improvised explosive devices and grenades. (MEA)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 13, 2006 issue)
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