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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Suspected Dulmatin cadaver subjected to DNA test
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Forensic experts of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have taken samples of body tissues for DNA test to determine if remains that was exhumed on Monday in Tawi-Tawi belongs to that of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) bomber Dulmatin, a military official said.
Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer Major Eugenio Batara on Tuesday said the results would be known hopefully within a week's time.
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"If it will be found out later that the body was really that of Dulmatin, then this will be a big blow on the Abu Sayyaf Group and JI organization and a great success of Westmincom in its campaign against terror not only in the Philippines but in the whole South East Asia region as well," Batara said.
The body was recovered on Monday afternoon in Bato-Bato, Tawi-Tawi by combined personnel from the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, military intelligence, and PNP.
A captured militant from the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group led government troops Monday to a grave in the southernmost province of Tawi Tawi that contained a cadaver bearing gunshot wounds and closely resembling Ammar Usman -- widely known as Dulmatin, officials said.
"We are conducting DNA test to confirm if it's really his (Dulmatin) body," said marine commandant Major General Benjamin Dolorfino.
Military troops in pursuit of the killers of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) priest Fr. Jesus Reynaldo Roda and captors of Notre Dame teacher Omar Taup have clashed with the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf last January 31 in the village of Lubbok, Panglima Sugala, Tawi-Tawi.
The military have earlier monitored that Dulamtin suffered gunshot wounds on his right ribs, left ankle, shrapnel wound on his right eyebrow and right cheek during the January 31 clash but was able to escape.
Alfa Moha, 28, a former member of Dulmatin's group, said Tuesday that Dulmatin, who they call as Bin, was indeed wounded in the Lubbok clash with government troops.
He even pointed to the picture of Dulmatin on the government's wanted posters when ask to identify who was the man that he saw wounded in the January 31 clash.
However, Moha said he could not say whether Dulmatin had died due to his wounds citing they already parted ways after the clash.
Moha said he was with Dulmatin's group for 25 days before he decided to part ways from the group.
Moha said he decided to dismember Dulmatin's group when he realized that the group is not doing good things just after the encounter in Lubbok, Panglima Sugala town.
He surrendered to the government troops in Tawi-Tawi on February 14, according to Batara.
Dulmatin, whose name is Amar Usman, and another JI Umar Patek were tagged as the masterminds in the 2002 bombing in Bali, Indonesia, that killed 202 people mostly tourists.
Batara said initial inspection of the cadaver shows the signs of gunshot wounds.
After tissue samples were taken, Westmincom chief Lieutenant General Nelson Allaga gave instruction to coordinate with the Westmincom's chaplain, who himself is an Imam, to facilitate a decent Muslim burial for the body, according to Batara.
The body was buried Tuesday afternoon in a Muslim Cemetery at Barangay Sinunuc, east of this city following Muslim rites at the Westmincom's Mosque.
Arrest
Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. also announced the arrest of another JI leader and two Filipino JI contacts in Banaybanay town in Davao Oriental during Monday's press conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Esperon and Army Chief Alexander Yano identified the JI bomber as Mohamad Baehagi alias Latif, Salman or Tatoh. Baehagi shouted in Arabic language "God is great, I'm a true believer of Islam."
He said Baehagi and his two contacts were arrested by combined military and police personnel last Sunday.
"The arrest was done on the basis of the warrant of arrest issued by the Judge Francis Palmones Jr. in Kidapawan City on January 12, 2007 for Multiple Murder with Multiple Frustrated Murder in Makilala, North Cotabato bombing in October of 2006 where many people were killed," he added.
Esperon said Baehagi, who received orders from JI leader Dulmatin, was arrested at a safe house in Barangay Piso. The JI bomber was nabbed along with Filipino contacts Cabiza Generoso and Mohar Abais Generoso. (With VR/Sunnex/AP)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (February 20, 2008 issue)
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