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Friday, April 28, 2006
Cops find grenades, bomb in terror hideout
MANILA -- Police raided an apparent hideout of al-Qaeda-linked militants in Manila Thursday and found six grenades and a suspected bomb they believed was to be used to disrupt the planned Labor Day protests, officials said.
Police officers, backed by bomb experts, raided the one-story rented house in Marikina City, but failed to arrest any Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, who have been monitored coming in and out of the area for months, said Asher Dolina, chief of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for Metro Manila.
One of the guerrillas recently seen in the house was Jojo Janjalani, a cousin of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani and a suspect in the 2001 kidnapping of 20 people, including three Americans, from the Dos Palmas resort in southwestern Palawan province, said Dolina, who led the raid.
"We've been monitoring them for months, but when we sensed that they were already storing grenades, we moved in because they could use that for an immediate attack," Dolina said.
"These bombs are ready for detonation. The grenades could easily be thrown at the crowds on May 1. That is our analysis. We really have to run after these bandits so we can foil their plan," Dolina said.
"These are not intended for buildings. These are intended for the crowds," he added of the explosives that are now under the custody of the CIDG for safekeeping. Also seized from the safe house were documents, which are undergoing "intelligence processing".
About 12 suspected Abu Sayyaf members have used the house since February, posing as traders peddling pirated DVDs.
At least nine were photographed during covert surveillance and police were seeking the help of other law enforcement agencies in identifying them, Dolina said.
"They are just awaiting orders from their leaders. Two to three days before the attack, they will receive instructions on how to carry out their plans," said Dolina.
Dolina said investigators were yet to establish if the planned bombing and disruption of the May 1 protest rallies were hatched in coordination with the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.
Police found six grenades, including a rifle-fired grenade, beside what appeared to be a homemade bomb wrapped in a detonating cord with about a kilogram of suspected explosive chemical powder, concealed in a locker in one of the rooms, he said.
The militants also had assault rifles, but none were found in the house, he said.
Dolina said he suspected the explosive and grenades were to be used on Monday.
Police have said they will deploy about 5,000 officers to guard against any violence on Monday's Labor Day observance after opposition groups vowed to hold rallies calling for the ouster of President Arroyo on allegations of corruption and vote-rigging.
National police chief Arturo Lomibao said police forces also were on alert for possible attempts by disgruntled troops to destabilize Arroyo's government on Labor Day.
Various sectors have committed to hold numerous rallies to greet the Labor Day and press for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who is hounded by charges of rigging the results of the 2004 elections.
Top military officials have warned that rightist and leftist groups may execute another plot to grab power on May 1. They said that once a critical mass is reached, a faction within their ranks might withdraw support from the President.
Renato Reyes, a left-wing protest organizer, suspected authorities were linking terror threats to the planned anti-Arroyo protests to discourage a huge crowd.
"Malacañang is desperately resorting to all kinds of scare tactics to discourage people from joining the May 1 protests," he said.
"Just the same, we would be closely guarding our ranks."(VR/AP/Sunnex)
(April 28, 2006 issue)
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