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WITH the
suspects in the bombing of the House of Representatives
arrested and charged in court and the motive clearly
established by investigators, the police are now
training their sight on the mastermind or masterminds.
Director
General Avelino Razon Jr., National Police chief, said
investigators are gathering more evidence on
personalities to pin them down.
Razon
said the leads were taken from the statements of the
three suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits captured at Violago
Homes, Payatas B, Quezon City last week.
“Ang
ginagawa ng mga imbestigador ngayon ay zeroing-in on
the mastermind dito sa pagsabog sa Batasang
Pambansa. Meron tayong ilang tao na tinitingnan at .
. . ating dine-develop at pinagtitibay nga
ang ating hawak na ebidensiya,” Razon said in a
chance interview at the opening of the Defense and
Sporting Arms Show at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong
City.
He
refused to identify the suspected brains behind the
bombing and how many they were.
The
National Police has filed four counts of murder, 12
counts of frustrated murder, and destruction to property
charges against Kaidar Aunal, Ikram Indama and Adham
Kusain following their arrest in a raid at the gang’s
safe house on Anahaw Street, Park Wood Hills
subdivision, Violago Homes, Payatas B.
The
arrested suspects’ accomplices—Abu Jandal and spouses
Redwan and Saing Idanan—were killed when they shot it
out with combined police and military troops who went to
the place to serve Jandal’s warrant of arrest.
During
interrogation, the three suspects confessed that Jamiri
Hajirun, a former mayor of Tuburan, Basilan, was also
involved in a separate plot to kill Akbar at Sulô Hotel
on October 23.
Combined
police and military operatives arrested Hajirun Tuesday
afternoon.
A Suzuki
motorcycle that was supposed to be used in the Sulo
Hotel bombing was also recovered by the police. The
homemade bomb that was to be planted in the motorcycle
was retrieved at an apartment on Leveriza Street in
Malate, Manila.
Hajirun
said the homemade bomb was the one the group was
supposed to use on Akbar at Sulô Hotel, but it did not
happen because Akbar did not show up. Hajirun then
dismantled the motorcycle bomb.
The
arrested suspects also tagged Benjamin Janga Hataman, a
cousin of party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman of Anak
Mindanao, as the direct contact in carrying out the bomb
attack on Akbar.
The plot
at the House was originally scheduled a day before the
November 13 explosion, but Akbar was not around at the
Batasan complex that time, the suspects told the police.
“Itong
si Jang [Hataman] ang nag-facilitate ng
access ng grupo [sa Batasan compound]
at nagturo kung saan ilalagay ang motorcycle
[with the bomb] at siya rin ang nag-trigger ng
bomba,” Razon said.
As a
result, Razon said Jang was also charged with four
counts of murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder, and
destruction to property at the justice department.
Razon
said the police still needs an arrest warrant before
they can book Jang even as he hinted that Representative
Hataman is not totally off the hook.
“Kapag
tayo ay makakita ng evidence that would link him
[Representative Hataman], that would indicate his
complicity dito sa kasong ito, then we will
proceed against Congressman Hataman. But as of now,
wala po tayong hawak na maaaring isampa laban kay
Congressman Hataman,” Razon said.
He said
the same will also hold for former Basilan congressman
Gerry Salapuddin, whose former driver Ikram Indama was
one of those arrested at the Payatas raid. |
