Friday, October 13, 2006
N. Cotabato guv links Moro rebel leader to blasts
By Ben O. Tesiorna and Al Jacinto
DAVAO CITY -- North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol has identified senior MILF leader Basit Usman in the bombing in Makilala town that killed 12 people and wounded more than two-dozen others.
Usman an alleged commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reportedly had a hand in the Makilala explosion Tuesday upon the orders of Indonesian terrorist Dulmatin, also known Amar Bin Usman, one of Asia's most wanted Jemaah Islamiya leaders.
The bombings were believed to be in retaliation to the capture early this month of Dulmatin's wife -- Istiada Bt. H. Oemar Sovie, alias Amenah Toha, and her two children -- in a raid at terrorist hideout in Jolo island's Patikul town.
Piñol said the second bomb found near the Makilala Municipal Hall, which did not explode Wednesday morning, had a cellular phone as its triggering device.
The mobile phone contained missed calls and messages coming from Usman, MILF's 105th base sub-commander, Piñol said.
"The cellphone that was recovered in the unexploded bomb proved to be a rich trove of information that clearly identified the people who implemented the series of bombings in Central Mindanao," Piñol said.
He said the orders for the bombings came from Indonesian terrorist Dulmatin in retaliation for the arrest of his wife, Sovie, in Jolo on October 3.
"The MILF now cannot wash their hands and simply say they know nothing of the bombing that killed and injured my people," an exasperated Piñol said.
He said he will formally file a protest against the MILF for violation of the ceasefire agreement.
"Let the MILF come clean and they can only do that if they turn over to the authorities the people behind the series of bombings, especially Usman," he said.
The Cotabato police are now preparing criminal charges against Usman for his involvement in the Makilala bombing.
Government has placed Mindanao under "extreme critical alert" -- the highest of a four-step public terror warning system -- after three bombings this week and fears of more attacks, the military said Thursday.
Military chief Hermogenes Esperon said the alert level for Mindanao was raised because of the presence of terrorist groups that have the intent and capability to launch attacks, referring to the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah.
"We know that they have the capability and therefore we have put up the extreme critical alert level in Mindanao," Esperon told reporters.
Government troops and police intensified security patrols and intelligence gathering and set up checkpoints, he said.
In Davao City, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appealed to the MILF to help lessen, if not stop the atrocities in Central Mindanao.
Duterte said he believes the MILF when they denied having a hand in the bomb explosions that hit Tacurong, Makilala, and Cotabato City in a span of 24 hours.
The mayor, however, added that the Muslim secessionist group could very well help government identify those behind the latest bombings and determine their present location.
"I'm not saying they know the bombers, but with a little effort maybe they can ascertain where the suspects are now and maybe talk and make sense with them. Or maybe even prevent more bombings, if possible, within their power to do so," Duterte said.
MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu earlier denied any involvement of the MILF in the series of bombings last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Kabalu added that their organization is willing to help identify and run after the people behind the bombing through the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities.
The US, British and Australian embassies advised their citizens against traveling to Mindanao due to "credible information" that terrorists could strike.
Among the places being closely watched by security forces is the southern port city of Zamboanga, where a weeklong Christian religious festival culminated Thursday with a public parade, police officials said.
In 2002, suspected Abu Sayyaf guerrillas detonated a bicycle bomb during a religious festival at Fort Pilar in Zamboanga, killing one civilian and wounding 12 others.
Fort Pilar is a complex that includes the centuries-old remains of a Spanish fort, a shrine to the Virgin Mary and an open-air worshipping area where Mass is celebrated.
Meanwhile, Malacañang said the absence of an anti-terrorism law hampers the campaign against terror groups, which recently launched bombing attacks in different parts of Mindanao Tuesday.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye renewed calls for Congress, particularly the Senate, to pass the anti-terror bill to give more teeth and a better fighting chance in the campaign against the remaining terror cells in the country.
"Let us not put more lives at risk when we can do something about the threat posed by terrorists now," he said.
He also asked the people to continue to be on alert while at the same keeping calm and sober in the face of the renewed bombings.
"Even as security is being beefed up in all potential targets, we all know that the most important linchpin in the fight against terror is the vigilance of the people themselves," Bunye said.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. also ordered local authorities in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato to be on the lookout for witnesses in the bombings.
In a memorandum, Gonzalez told provincial prosecutors and the agents of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) to immediately provide security for witnesses who could provide vital information as to the identity of the bombers.
"Considering the number of casualties affected by the terrorist bombing attacks in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat and Makilala, North Cotabato, you are hereby directed to closely coordinate with local government units, law enforcement and AFP units and to provide the necessary assistance for government's legal offensive," he said.
Gonzalez likewise ordered the WPP to "proactively search, secure and protect material witnesses to enhance government's effort to bring the perpetrators before the bar of justice."
He also directed the Board of Claims, which is under the Department of Justice, to facilitate the release of funds to cover compensation for the family of the victims.
"The Board of Claims is directed to expedite the processing of applications and compensation to bombing victims who qualify for benefits under the Victims Compensation Law to mitigate their loss," he said.
Soldiers and policemen were tracking down two men who were seen near the restrooms minutes before the bomb was detonated. (With reports from JMR/ECV/Sunnex)
(October 13, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
17 in nursing test scam named; case filed