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Monday, September 12, 2005
Terrorists recruit, train students as bombers
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The suspect in last week's bomb attack in Kabacan, North Cotabato confirmed that students are being used by the Jemaah Islamiya terror group for its devastating activities, the 4th Civil Relations Group (4CRG) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.
Army Major Lao Lucas, chief of the 42nd Civil Relations Unit based in the area, said the JIs were reportedly recruiting school children for bomb making and bomb attacks in Mindanao.
Lucas's unit is under the 4th Civil Relations Group headed by Ltc. Oscar Lasangue.
In his report to Lasangue, Lucas, quoting Kabacan Mayor Luz Tan, disclosed that the recruits were students from the towns of Kabacan, Midsayap, and Carmen in North Cotabato and Esperanza municipality in Sultan Kudarat province.
The students, according to the report, were recruited by the group who claimed to be members of an agriculture organization. They were told they would be taught how to plant mangoes.
"But instead of sowing mangoes, the recruits were trained in planning home-made explosives," the Army officer reported.
The report further revealed that the modus operandi of the group is to send text messages to their prospective victims, asking for protection money and threatening a bomb attack if they refuse to give in to the terrorists' demand.
Last week, Abas Calim, alleged member of a group called Karancho, and watch repairman Michael Yap, 24, were nabbed by police while opening an account at a bank in Midsayap town.
"Several text messages sent by Calim to Mayor Tan and some businessmen in Kabacan, and the giving of the suspect's bank account number have led to their arrests," Lucas said. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(September 12, 2005 issue)
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