Tuesday, November 20, 2007 Suspects confirm they were out to get Akbar, investigators say
MANILA—Two of three suspected terrorists who were earlier arrested by security forces in connection with the bombing of the Batasan complex last Tuesday owned up taking part in the attack, a police official said.
“The suspects have revealed their preparation leading up to the bombing,” said National Capital Region Police Chief Geary Barias during a news conference in Camp Crame.
Barias said Adham Kusain admitted to investigators owning the motorcycle where the improvised bomb was placed. The bomb was detonated last Nov. 13 as Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar was waiting for his car, killing him and three congressional staffers. Twelve others were injured.
Ikram Indama, a former driver of former Basilan congressman Gerry Salapudin, admitted that he drove and parked the motorcycle at the Batasan south wing.
The third suspect, who was arrested during a raid in Payatas, Quezon City last Thursday afternoon, was Khainar Andal.
“They (suspects) have confessed, they have admitted that they really targeted Akbar. You can verify in their affidavit submitted to the DOJ (Department of Justice),” said Barias.
He also said the two admitted during the interrogation that their target was indeed Akbar.
The police filed yesterday murder complaints against the three men.
State Prosecutor Peter Ong said police filed a complaint of four counts of murder and 12 counts of frustrated murder at the justice department yesterday.
Prosecutors set a Nov. 29 preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to formally charge the suspects, Ong said.
PNP Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said the investigation will continue until the mastermind of the bombing is identified.
Salapuddin, one of Akbar’s rivals made a formal statement to investigators over the weekend to deny speculation that he was involved, because one of the suspects, Ikram Indama, used to be his driver.
Razon said Salapuddin was not a suspect at this time.
Indama and the two others were arrested Thursday after authorities raided a house not far from Congress to serve an arrest warrant for kidnapping against Pakir Said, a suspected member of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group. Said and two others were killed in a shootout, while the three other men surrendered.
Officers found a deed of sale for a motorcycle allegedly used in the bombing and other evidence, but it was not clear whether the men acted alone.
Barias said that while Said used be a member of the Abu Sayyaf, it was not clear if he and the other suspects were still with the group.
“Our work is not yet finished. We have some names and we are continuing with our investigation,” Razon said.
A former Muslim rebel-turned-politician, Akbar, 47, had been linked to the Abu Sayyaf but later backed military attacks against it.
He also headed a powerful political dynasty that has been running Basilan province. In May elections, one of Akbar’s wives defeated Salapuddin in a bid to become governor of Basilan.
Political violence and vendettas are common in the southern Philippines, and Salapuddin asked for military and police protection for fear of possible retaliatory attacks by Akbar supporters, said Cabinet member Eduardo Ermita.
As Basilan governor in 2002, Akbar welcomed US troops who trained Filipino soldiers battling the Abu Sayyaf. (Sunnex/AP)
