Director Felicisimo Khu, Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (Dipo)-West chief, identified the alleged planner of the seven-man cell as Hussein Amajad Ahaddin, alias Abu Tiih, who was arrested around 8 p.m. on Tuesday in Barangay Muti, a coastal village 58 kilometers east of this city.
The incident, which took place in the evening of October 2, 2002, near the main gate of Camp Gen. Arturo Enrile in Barangay Malagutay, seven kilometers west of this city, also injured 25 others, including an American soldier.
Khu said the seven-man cell is also believed to be behind last Sunday’s bombing of the Atilano’s Pension House in Barangay Canelar in this city.
Three people were killed while 27 others were injured when a powerful bomb exploded at the second floor of one of the two two-story buildings of the pension house around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said, “He [Ahaddin] was a member of the Abu Sayyaf’s urban terror team. According to reports, he played a major role in the Atilano Pension House bombing incident.”
Khu said Ahaddin was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the crime of murder and multiple frustrated murder issued in March 2010 by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 17 of the 9th Judicial Region, Zamboanga City.
Zamboanga Peninsula police director Chief Supt. Elpidio de Asis said they have placed under investigation four other people who were at the residence of Ahaddin when he was arrested.
Khu said Ahaddin’s group was also involved in other previous bombing incidents in this city.
These are the October 17, 2002, bombing of two department stores that killed seven people and injured 150 others; the August 10, 2005, twin bombings at the Sta. Maria-Pasonanca terminal on Campaner Street and a budget hotel on Climaco Avenue that injured 30 people; the bombings on October 9, 2011, of a budget hotel in Barangay Guiwan and Cockpit Arena in Barangay San Roque that injured 11 people; and, the October 26, 2011, bombing of a lotto outlet and a fruit stand in Barangay Sangali that killed one and wounded six others.
Khu said Ahaddin is one of the followers of the late Abu Sayyaf leader Ustadz Abdullah Ajijul, alias Abu Termije, and Amilhamja Ajijul, alias Alex Alvarez, and Abu Jamil that carried out series of bombings in this city.
Khu said Ahaddin has strong ties with other young Abu Sayyaf “Zamboanga City cell” member identified as Ramjay Ajijul, the son of Abu Termije.
The seven-man cell maintains alliance with Dan Laksaw Asnawi, the deputy commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) 114th Base Command, and Abu Sayyaf subleader Purudji Indana, Khu disclosed.
Khu added that they also “invited” for questioning Hadja Rukia Asnawi, wife of Dan Laksaw Asnawi. He did not elaborate.
He disclosed that Ahaddin has been providing assistance to Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf leader Khair Mundos and some MILF rebels, who have been using Barangay Muti as docking point in coming to Zamboanga City.
Ahaddin and his group have been providing sanctuary and information to Basilan-based kidnap-for-ransom-group (KFRG) for possible kidnap victims, he said.
However, Harija, Ahaddin’s wife, has denied all the accusations hurled against her husband.
She said her husband is a simple habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) driver in Muti and sometimes do other manual labor chores to earn a living to support them.
