Wednesday, August 22, 2007 2 local JI members behind bombings By Malu Cadelina Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Two local operatives of the Indonesia-based militant Jemaah Islamiya (JI), one of them a foreign-trained bomber, have been identified as behind the recent blasts in key cities in Central Mindanao, police said.
Tacurong City Police Chief Joel Limson identified a certain Toliah whose base is in Cotabato City and a certain Tongan Fatima, a local JI trained abroad for bomb making, as the ones behind the explosions that rocked central Mindanao since May this year.
Tongan, according to Limson, is a cousin of Badrudin Guiasilon Tapid, suspected bomber arrested last Friday in a public terminal in Tacurong City. Tapid was identified in earlier news as Badrodin Tapid and Badruding Guisilon.
Limson said Tapid is willing to reveal vital information, which could lead to eventual arrest of the suspects.
Toliah, according to intelligence reports, has set up a base in Cotabato City and is operating in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm), especially in Cotabato City, Maguindanao and Shariff Kabungsuwan provinces, while Tongan, who is believed to be hiding in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao covers General Santos City, Saranggani, Sultan Kudarat, and other areas in Central Mindanao, Limson said.
Tapid said, his 'secret deals' with Toliah started on August 9, in a safe house in Lugay-Lugay Street, a slum area in Cotabato City.
The pay-off took place in Buluan, a town adjacent to Datu Paglas in Maguindanao.
Tapid said he was paid a considerable cash just to execute bomb attacks in Tacurong City.
A few hours before Tapid could carry out the attacks, he was arrested by members of the intelligence unit of the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade in a public terminal in Tacurong City.
Charges were already filed against Toliah and Tongan, according to Limson.
The military earlier claimed Tapid has confessed being a member of the Special Operations Group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Tapid, a resident of Barangay Dalican, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Shariff Kabunsuan Province, was in possession of three improvised explosive device (IED) which was hidden under a pile of rambutan fruits he was selling.
His family claimed he is not a rebel and the materials found in his possession were planted, a claim Limson denies saying the other fruit vendors in the area can prove that the suspect was really found in possession of the bombs.
Found in Tapid's possession were three rounds of 60mm mortars and electronic tools.
Tapid further confessed that an IED was already deployed at the market's fruit section leading to the recovery of a bomb composed of two pounds TNT (trinitrotoluene), an improvised blasting cap, mortar booster, nine-volt battery and a concrete nail.
