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Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Trader linked to bombings captured
By Minerva B. Gerodias
CEBU -- A Cebuano suspected of having led alleged terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi to a supplier of explosive chemicals was arrested Tuesday dawn in Clarin, Bohol.
Antonio "Tony" Reyes, 53, of Tangke, Talisay City was identified as a middleman in the purchase of ammonium nitrate used in the Rizal Day Light Rail Transit (LRT) bombing in Manila on Dec. 30, 2000.
Cebu City Vice Control Section (VCS) chief Marvin Sanchez and Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (CIIB) chief Rodolfo Albotra Jr., with two of their subordinates, arrested Reyes by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by Judge Ireneo Gako.
The arrest warrant was for violation of Section 3 of Presidential Decree 1866 or illegal possession of explosives. Bail was set at P200,000.
Cebu City Police Office Chief Cecil Ezra Sandalo, who used to head the Talisay police, said Reyes was a well-known producer of blasting caps and fuses in Talisay City.
With this accomplishment, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Chief Robert Delfin said awards and recommendations for promotion can be expected by the arresting officers.
At least 22 persons were injured and several others were wounded during the LRT bombing.
Al-Ghozi, the Indonesian who allegedly plotted the bombing, was arrested in January 2002 but bolted out of the Camp Crame jail last July 14. He is still the subject of a manhunt.
Fish vendor
Reyes was presented Tuesday to PNP Deputy Director for Operations Virtus Gil, who was visiting PRO 7.
Delfin said Reyes served as the contact for al-Ghozi and his men when they bought ammonium nitrate for the Rizal Day bombing and the 1.2 tons of ammonium nitrate seized in General Santos City last Jan. 17, 2002.
Reyes denied the allegation, saying he is just an ordinary fish vendor.
All he admitted was that in 2000, a certain Alix approached and bought fish from him in Pasil. Two days later, Alix visited him in Tangke, Talisay to woo his daughter.
Alix also asked where he could get ammonium nitrate.
Reyes added his daughter did not agree to date Alix as they knew he was married. He also told Alix he did not know where to get ammonium nitrate, a white crystalline substance that is often used as a fertilizer but is also a component of some explosives.
Since then, Reyes said, he never saw Alix again. He just saw him on TV when Alix was arrested in the third quarter of 2002.
Reyes believes that because his daughter turned Alix down, he was implicated in the case in retaliation.
It was Alix, later identified as Cusain Ramos, alias Abu Ali, who implicated Reyes.
Al-Ghozi here
But Delfin, who was formerly with the PNP Intelligence Group, said that even al-Ghozi tagged Reyes as their contact man in Cebu.
In Alix/Ramos' sworn statement dated Sept. 2, 2002, he revealed that the group ordered ammonium nitrate at least twice from Reyes.
Alix/Ramos, who admitted he was a former member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, revealed that he met al-Ghozi in November 2000 when he and Mukhlis Yunos, another suspect in the Rizal Day bombing, visited Lapu-Lapu City.
He further revealed that al-Ghozi and Yunos visited him because they wanted him to buy explosives. He knew that Reyes, his acquaintance since 1986, could help him.
Reyes allegedly brought the explosives to the pier and Ramos paid almost P80,000 to him.
In December 2001, Alix/Ramos again bought explosives and used Reyes as his middleman. Ramos was the one who brought the items to General Santos City.
Delfin said the explosives seized in General Santos City were supposed to be used to bomb an embassy in Singapore.
Talisay sources
The Jema'ah Islamiyah had ordered al-Ghozi to produce five tons of ammonium nitrate for their Singapore project but they were only able to find 1.2 tons, allegedly from Talisay City.
In connection with the seizure of the 1.2 tons of ammonium nitrate, blasting caps and detonating cords, Camp Crame recommended canceling the licenses of two shops in Talisay---Alpha Sierra Construction and Pab-Tess Enterprises---on suspicion that these two were the sources of the ammonium nitrate.
Because of Alix/Ramos' revelation, the PNP Intelligence Group came to Cebu to investigate further and then they filed the charge against Reyes before the Regional Trial Court here.
Reyes said that late last year, he received a summons in relation to the case. Out of fear, he left for Clarin, Bohol, where he stayed in a relative's house.
Last week, the police received information about Reyes and, last Monday, left for Clarin.
Reyes was fishing when the police arrived in his residence at 5 p.m. Monday. He hid once he learned the police was there.
Around 5 a.m. Tuesday, the police learned he was hiding in the home of a friend, so they arrested him there. Reyes did not resist. They arrived in Cebu City past 7 a.m.
Reyes was detained at the Cebu City Police Office Tuesday and will be turned over to the court Wednesday. Sun.Star Cebu
(August 13, 2003 issue)
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