Cebuano is new terror group head?: Police identify local contact

The police have identified the local contact of the two suspected bombers, who were killed in a shootout last Thursday night.

The man, who studied in Cebu, is believed to be the new leader of the Rajah Sulaiman Movement following the arrest of the group's founder, Hilarion del Rosario Santos alias Ahmad Santos, in Zamboanga City last October.

Police Sr. Supt. Lani-o Nerez, the Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Police Regional Office-7, yesterday identified the local contact as Dino Amor Rosalejos Pareja alias Khalil Pareja.

Pareja, according to Nerez, is very familiar with Cebu, because of he studied high school at the University of Philippines Cebu College and took up college at the University of the San Jose-Recoletos.

Nerez, however, said that although the information he got are still subject for verification, but The Freeman was able to confirm yesterday that Pareja was indeed a student of the UPCC High School in Lahug.

His records showed that he was born in Sariaya, Quezon on July 19, 1981.

From Quezon, the family then moved to barangay Tabok, Mandaue City.

Pareja also reportedly completed his elementary education at the Basak Elementary School in Mandaue City. One of the personnel at UP said yesterday afternoon that about two years ago, Pareja visited her office to check his school records.

In that visit, the office staff said that she found him weird because he was then bringing along with him a Quran and was already speaking Tagalog although he spoke Visayan when he was still a student.

When asked what kept him busy, Pareja reportedly answered that he would be visiting Muslim countries to spread the Islamic faith.

Pareja was reportedly an average student at UP and his teachers described him to be a loner and said that he was never meted any disciplinary action not until his graduation day when he made a scene by pounding the drum loudly like he was playing rock music while his classmates sang the alma mater song. Nerez also confirmed that Pareja's name always comes up during meetings about counter terrorism and described the man to be extremely dangerous.

The police official added that when the RSM members arrived in Cebu after they fled a raid on their hideout in Marikina City last April 27, it was hard to trace them since they moved from one small pension house to another.

Nerez also theorized that Pareja might have met suspected bombers Ali Usop and Datu Neil Ulama in Zambonga City.

Usop and Ulama were first-degree cousins and were both Tausog. Usop was born in Iligan while Ulama was born in Cotabato.

Nerez said that Usop is the bomb maker since the improvised explosive device found near the entrance of a mall at the North Reclamation Area last Thursday has his fingerprints on them.

Usop also had pending warrants of arrest for his participation in bombings in Mindanao and the Valentine's Day bombing along with Ulama.

He was also closely associated with Abu Sayyaf Group Leader Khadafi Janjalani.

Investigation

Muslim leaders in Cebu are demanding a full-dress investigation into the killing of the two suspected terrorists. Office of the Muslim Affairs regional director Sakiran Hadjan cried foul that the police tagged the two as Muslims. Hadjan, in an interview over DYLA yesterday said that Usop and Ulama do not bear the signs of believers of Islam.

Hadjan said that there are evidence that disprove claims that the two were members of the Rajah Sulaiman Movement, a group that believes in the Balik-Islam ideology. Hadjan explained that Usop and Ulama did not have identification marks on the forehead. Aside from that, one of them bore a tattoo on the body, which is not allowed by Islam, and had dirty fingernails.

According to Hadjan, Muslims have signs on the forehead and do not sport tattoos on their body. He added that if they were in deed Muslims they should have been buried within 24 hours after their death because it is the belief of Islam.

Hadjan said relatives of the two would have already claimed their bodies for immediate burial if they were in deed Muslims.

Hadjan also pointed out what he believed were handcuff marks on the wrists of the two suspected terrorists, which would indicate that the two may have been already arrested before they got killed.

Dr. Rene Cam, medico legal officer of the National Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the autopsy, belied the observation of the Muslim officials.

Cam said that the alleged marks on the wrists of the suspects were actually old scars. Cam said he noted a wound on the hand of Ulama, but it was a post-mortem wound, meaning it was inflicted after his death, which might have been done during the embalming.

Hadjan also agrees with Hadji Nashier Ismael, former chairman of the Metro Cebu Muslim Peace and Order Council, that somebody could have been behind the incident to create an impression that Cebu is not safe and capable of hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit this December.

Hadjan however assured the police and local officials that the Muslim community in Cebu does not embrace lawless elements.

Not Scripted

The police clarified that the reason why nobody was allowed to go near the bodies of the two suspected terrorists after the shootout was the fact that there was a grenade, which they feared might explode.

Acting Cebu City Police Director Melvin Gayotin said that even Mayor Tomas Osmeña was not allowed to come near due to the threat of explosion.

"Ang alarma una is dunay bomba, dayon taud-taud naay nahitabong encounter dayon dunay narekober nga granada diha mismo sa crime scene, so di ta ka garantiya sa safety sa media people," Gayotin explained why the media was not allowed in the area.

Vice Control Section chief Police Sr. Insp George Ylanan, who was one of those who responded to the alarm said that scientific findings based on the autopsy of Dr.Rene Cam of NBI -7 would be a more reliable basis for any presumption of foul play.

"Their speculations remains to be speculation, while the scientific reports remains otherwise," Ylanan said.