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Thursday, March 06, 2003
Davao mayor declares war on blast suspects
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO (9:10 p.m.) -- Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered Thursday the filing of charges against and immediate arrest of all leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in relation to the deadly bomb attack on the Davao International Airport that killed 21 persons.
He told a joint conference of the Regional Peace and Order Councils of Regions 11 and 12 that authorities have enough evidence to prove the separatist rebels' role in Tuesday's blast at the airport and other bombings in Mindanao.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, however, said charges that the bomber was a rebel group member was "a total lie" and part of a campaign to discredit the group.
Defense officials, also on Thursday, said a young Moro separatist guerrilla carrying explosives in a backpack triggered the airport blast that also left over a hundred others injured.
Montasher Sudang, a 23-year-old Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel, was among those who died in the bombing.
Defense spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Danilo Servando said in Manila that Sudang "was the bomb carrier," and that the bomb may have "prematurely exploded."
It was not immediately clear if the suspect planned to leave the package in the airport or if he planned to die in the attack, which ripped apart a packed airport waiting lounge.
11 persons
Duterte said authorities have "invited" 11 persons to shed light on the airport blast.
They were interrogated in two batches: the first group was made up of relatives and friends of Sudang, who was believed to have carried the bag containing the explosives; the second group was made up of those arrested for possession of about half a sack of trinitrotolouene (TNT), a basic bomb ingredient.
Nine of the 11 persons picked up for questioning by police have since been released, added the mayor. The two others are still in jail.
An angry Duterte said he was not blaming all Muslims for the spate of bombings in Mindanao but only their leaders who wanted to take control of the island.
"You want to take control of Mindanao? Then you consider millions of Christians here in Mindanao as rebels including me. It's our turn now to start bombing you. Nobody but nobody in this planet should monopolize anything. You want peace, fine. But if you want war then we just have to bite the bullet," Duterte warned.
He said he would not call them rebels anymore, for they are "mere terrorists."
"Being called as rebel is a noble thing. They are plain and simple terrorists. Pag nakita ko kayo dito sa (If I see you in) Davao I will arrest you...Tama na, sobra na (Enough, this is too much)," he added.
One year
Duterte also said during a meeting of the peace and order councils it was high time that the government "squared off" with the MILF.
"I cannot restore Davao City to its former serenity but I will create hell for these criminals," Duterte said.
He said he was waging war against all criminals operating in Mindanao and gave himself one year to put a stop to all their criminal activities.
"We will not live in fear, we will never govern on bended knees. It's either ako ang matatapos o kayo. You choose. We will enter your house, we will arrest you," Duterte said.
He also warned militant groups not to criticize them for the warrantless arrests they were doing, adding it was necessary that they run after and arrest the blast suspects.
Authorities identified the 11 people invited for questioning as Tirso Sudang, Undangan Sudang, Karutin Sudang, Tarhata Sudang, Kabayasi Sudang, Esmie Singab, Datuan Landasan, Alex Kalidapa, Josegan Tambaga,
Dency Hagoriles and Carlito Quirino.
It was not known, however, who among them will be facing charges for Tuesday's airport bombing.
Premonition
As early as a month before the blast, Duterte said he already had a feeling that something bad would happen in Davao.
Duterte said he even went to Malacañang and tried convincing officials there to declare martial law in Mindanao but his suggestion was opposed by most of the Palace people.
"I had anticipated that if ever these groups would make a political statement that would be heard all throughout the world, it's going to be in Davao," he added.
The mayor said he also tried contacting MILF chair Salamat Hashim through his nephew, businessman Datu Ibrahim Paglas III, but failed.
Once very vocal in his opposition to the deployment of US troops in the country, Duterte said he now welcomes any help that Washington can extend to resolve the case.
In his speech before the councils, he said that if anybody would open his heart at that very moment they would see US President George W. Bush inside.
"Magkabarkada na kami ni Bush," he said. (Bush and I are now close pals.)
Links
The government on Wednesday rejected the claim by the Abu Sayyaf, classified as a terrorist group by Washington for its alleged links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, that it was behind the attack on the airport.
Police sources in Davao, on the other hand, named Mastura Gumawan, the senior leader of the MILF forces in the Cotabato region that includes Kabacan town, as the man who "directed" the Davao attack.
The MILF's Davao commander, Ibrahim Lais, was against the plot, the sources added.
Politicians in Davao claim the City Government had an informal understanding with the MILF forces in the area that they should avoid attacking each other.
The Davao bombing followed weeks of intense clashes in Mindanao between government forces and the MILF which left about 200 dead, most of them MILF rebels.
Police was able to obtain evidence of the Davao bomber's identity from the blast site, officials said. His relatives were arrested and questioned when they went to a hospital morgue to claim his remains.
Investigators then cross-checked on a roster of MILF recruits recovered by a military unit following a clash in the southern town of Kabacan with a MILF unit sometime in 2000, defense department records showed.
Sudang had apparently joined the MILF soon after he turned 16.
Tremors
The 12,500-member MILF, the country's largest separatist group waging a 25-year campaign for an Islamic state in Mindanao, has denied any hand in the blast.
The MILF has been previously linked to al-Qaeda's Southeast Asian chapter, Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), accused of staging the bomb attack on the Indonesian island of Bali in October last year that killed 202 people.
The Davao blast has sent tremors across the financial markets in the Philippines and abroad, with the Philippine peso trading at a 25-month low of 54.840 against the dollar early Thursday from its close of 54.750 on Wednesday.
Earlier, the military admitted failing to anticipate Tuesday's attack at the Davao airport.
Southern Command Chief Narciso Abaya said they have been concentrating on improving security measures on power transmission lines since these were the objects of attacks by lawless elements in the past few weeks.
Abaya admitted they had not discussed beefing up security measures at airports in their meeting last week here in Davao City.
Forensics experts from the United States and Australia are to help Filipino authorities in the investigations, President Arroyo said Thursday.
In fresh fighting in southern Cagayan de Oro City Thursday, MILF rebels said they had captured seven government soldiers. Sun.Star Davao/With AFP
Related stories:
Gov't junks Sayyaf claim on Davao attack; MILF men among suspects
Abu Sayyaf owns Davao airport blast
5 MILF men held as US offers to help track bombers
US national among 19 killed in Davao blast; mayor vows more arrests
US President condemns deadly RP bombing
Residents told to stay calm: GenSan mayor speaks from experience
Suspect in airport blast came by bus?
City in state of emergency
(March 7, 2003 issue)
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