PNP hunts Indons linked to Davao blasts

By FERNAN MARASIGAN
TODAY Reporter

Policemen are hot on the trail of five Indonesian terrorists, who are believed to be behind the two bombings in Davao City.

This was learned Monday as the National Police intelligence chief confirmed Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s disclosure that the Southeast Asia-based international terrorist group Jama’ah Islamiyah was behind the bombing of Sasa Wharf in Davao City last week that left 16 people dead and more than 100 injured.

Chief Supt. Robert Delfin, head of the Directorate for Intelligence said the National Police are hunting down five Indonesians said to be connected to the Jama’ah Islamiyah and who are believed to be involved in the bombing.

The Jama’ah Islamiyah is a cell of the al-Qaeda Network of Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden and is operating in Southeast Asia.

The five Indonesians were identified as Sulaiman, Sulkifli, Nasruddin, Hajii Akhmad and Harmia.

The Armed Forces, meanwhile, described Duterte’s claim as credible because the mayor has information accessible to him, being the crisis manager in the province.

Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, Armed Forces vice chief of staff and concurrent military spokesman, also said that Duterte has a strong basis for saying that the special unit of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had connived with the Jama’ah Islamiyah in carrying out the bombing.

“Mayor Duterte would probably have information that is accessible to him, being the crisis manager there; and being the Davao City mayor, who is taking the lead in harnessing efforts of our investigative agencies in the area to be able to pinpoint responsibility for the recent bombing in Sasa Wharf,” said Garcia.

However, Garcia said the military has no corroborative information so far about the MILF special unit that perpetrated the bombing.

“But Mayor Duterte may have his own access, the man on the ground, to the information,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, Delfin said the head of Task Force Sasa, Senior Supt. Isidro la Peña, has the same information as that of Duterte. La Peña is also the Southern Mindanao police commander.

“The special MILF unit may be involved in both bombings, but the more recent [information] seems to indicate Mayor Duterte pointing to Indonesian members of JI, based on [material gathered by] intelligence committee,” said Delfin.

Delfin said his office believes that the five Indonesians are still in Mindanao.

Duterte earlier said that members of the Jama’ah Islamiyah has connived with the members of MILF special urban terrorist action group or SUTAG.

Authorities revealed that SUTAG has been involved in at least 20 bombings in Mindanao this year.

Duterte has also warned that the Indonesian terrorists have allegedly linked up with their local counterparts and are now “working overtime” to carry out more bombing missions.

President Arroyo on Monday called on the MILF leadership to disprove their alleged involvement in the Sasa wharf bombing, even as she ordered Davao officials to back up their allegations against the rebel group with proper evidence.

In a statement issued a day after Duterte virtually accused the MILF of masterminding the Sasa wharf bombing, the President also said the government’s commitment to the peace process will not deter it from running after terrorists possibly disguised as peacemakers.

“Since the issue has been brought out, I strongly urge the MILF leadership to prove that they had nothing to do with this particular incident. We will not allow the government to be caught in a squeeze play between terrorism and the peace process. Terrorists cannot hide behind pretensions to peace, we will expose them and throw the full weight of the law against them,” she said.

Referring to Duterte’s allegations against the SUTAG as behind the Sasa bombing, the President said the official “may have his own reasons for believing that the MILF has something to do with the bombing.”

“But any action must be based on evidence so that justice can be served. The government will go after the culprits for the sake of bringing justice to the victims and to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” she said.

The President also warned foreigners involved in terrorist plots that they are under surveillance and would be either expelled or arrested if warranted.

“We are putting on notice all foreigners who are involved in terrorist conspiracies. They are under close watch and should not give the government any reason to expel or arrest them. This is a matter of national security and we will not engage in diplomatic niceties or accommodations of suspected personalities,” she said.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a news briefing that the President has directed all local government officials, the police and the military to maintain a high level of security nationwide to deny terrorists any opportunity to act. With M. Gonzalez