Friday, August 24, 2007 ‘Abu Sayyaf’ caught at port
CARRYING an improvised explosive, a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf was intercepted Wednesday at the Cebu port by intelligence agents from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
The suspect was identified as Gino “Noy” Ampuan, 18, from Parang, Shariff Kabunsuan Province in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.
He was on his way to Manila from Cotabato City on board Superferry 5, which made a stop in Cebu City.
Ampuan was found with a mortar and rifle grenade placed inside a sack containing bananas and sweet potatoes, according to a GMA 7 TV report.
He said he was only asked to bring the sack to Manila and that he did not know its contents.
A Swat team defused the explosive in the waters off the South Road Properties in Cebu City.
Law enforcement agencies are on heightened alert following the beheading of 10 Marine soldiers last July 10. The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front blamed the killing on the Abu Sayyaf.
Military troops are on full pursuit operations against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan.
President Arroyo and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. visited a Marine camp in Basilan yesterday. They will also be attending the Local Peace and Security Assembly for Central Visayas in Bohol Province today.
The Abu Sayyaf, which allegedly has links with the terrorist group al-Qaeda, is reportedly harboring Jemaah Islamiyah militants Dulmatin and Umar Patek, the alleged brains of the 2002 Bali bombings.
In a separate interview, Director Glenn Cabañez of the Maritime Industry Authority based in Cebu said that sea marshals discovered the bomb during a routine inspection with bomb-sniffing dogs.
Ampuan told investigators that somebody asked him to bring the package but he was not told that a bomb was inside it, Cabañez said.
As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the suspect was placed under the custody of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, he added.
Cebu Port Authority General Manager Angelo Verdan assured that bombs, firearms and other contraband can hardly pass through the ports because of tight security.
No departing vessel passenger can board a ship without passing through an X-ray machine and the inspection section of the port terminal, he said. (GC/EOB)
