Saturday, July 26, 2008 Caro bewails report linking bomb to threat
POLICE Regional Director Andres Caro complained about reports linking the recovery of a bomb-rigged motorcycle in Maguindanao to a bomb threat in Davao City.
In a press conference Thursday, Caro said it is almost impossible for a motorcycle bomb to travel from far-away Maguindanao to Davao City considering the tight security being implemented along the national highway.
The police general appealed to the media not to "play up" stories just so they would have a good story.
This reporter however told Caro that the angle on the motorcycle bomb being on its way to Davao City was not made up by the media but came from the Eastern Mindanao Command. The same information was also made available by wire agencies, also attributed to Eastmincom.
Major Randolph Cabangbang admitted to Caro that the information indeed came from them and was given to them by their field commander.
Lt. Col. Roseler Murillo, commander of the Army's 64th IB, said on Wednesday that his men conducted checkpoints at the vicinity of Barangays Saniag and Kauran in Ampatuan town Tuesday afternoon after receiving intelligence report of an alleged motorcycle bomb that was assembled in Mamasapano.
Murillo said the intelligence report identified a Davao-based terrorist by the name of Abdullah as the one who assembled the motorcycle bomb. Abdullah is reportedly affiliated with the international terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah.
The motorcycle was already abandoned by the terrorist when authorities arrived in the area around five in the afternoon of July 22. The IED was defused by the explosive ordnance division from the military and police around 10 in the evening.
Major Armand Rico, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the IED is composed of TNT placed inside the air cleaner of the motorcycle and is connected to a mobile phone that serves as a triggering device.
Caro said they are now looking into the real identity of this Abdullah. (BOT)
