Terror suspect willing to turn state witness

An accused terrorist asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday to make him a state witness to strengthen the rebellion charges against his comrades in the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) and the Abu Sayyaf.

Gonzalez presented Malik Alimuddin, a member of the group of Muslim converts linked to terrorist bombings in the past, to the media yesterday.

Speaking through his lawyer Raymond Palad, Malik said he will change his plea from not guilty to guilty so he could qualify as a state witness.

Appearing at the Department of Justice yesterday, Malik and his lawyer submitted to Gonzalez a copy of his extra-judicial confession executed on Oct. 27, two days after he was arrested, along with other RSM members in Zamboanga City.

However, Gonzalez said the DOJ would have to evaluate Malik’s confession to determine if he is qualified to become a state witness.

"If he is qualified to turn state witness, this will strengthen the campaign of the government against terrorism," he said.

"There are three kinds of principal accused: one, those with direct participation; second, those who cooperate; and third is by inducement. We have to evaluate their testimonies."

Gonzalez said prosecutors have asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council to determine if the RSM had been receiving money from the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network.

The testimony of Malik will determine whether the RSM is receiving funds from terrorists abroad like the JI, he added.

In his extra-judicial confession, Malik said the RSM used him as a conduit for the transfer of funds from Indonesia for its operational expenses in the Philippines.

The money was sent to his account at the Land Bank of the Philippines branch in Zamboanga City, and he said he learned the funds came from Indonesia.

Malik said he withdrew the money monthly with an automated teller machine card, and that he would turn over the card to Ahmed Santos, one of his co-accused, after every transaction.

Santos kept the card, although it was in his name, he added.

Palad said Malik decided to turn state witness because he is convinced that the government’s case against the RSM is strong.

"Basically, Malik’s testimony is the identification and participation of ASG and RSM, and the fact that he opened a bank account and he was the one who was assigned to get the proceeds for the RSM," he said.

"He delivers the money to Ahmed. He only acts upon instructions of Ahmed."

Palad said one time last October, Malik withdrew P9,500 from the bank for the everyday operations of the RSM.

During a raid at the RSM hideout in Zamboanga City on Oct. 25, police seized ammunition and explosives from Malik and his comrades, who are now facing rebellion charges before a Makati City court.

The RSM is a group of former Catholics who have converted to Islam, and whom the government claims have links to the Abu Sayyaf and the JI.

The 27-year-old Malik, a forestry graduate of the Far Eastern University in Manila, said in his extra-judicial confession that he had conspired with Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani and Hilarion Santos (alias Ahmed del Rosario Santos) to bomb strategic points in Makati, specifically the city’s Regional Trial Court, which last month handed down the death penalty to Abu Sayyaf members in connection with the Valentine’s Day bombing earlier this year.

Malik was among the RSM members arrested earlier in Zamboanga City and arraigned last Thursday before the Makati regional trial court on rebellion charges.

His co-accused and RSM comrades are Hilarion Santos, Abu Hamza Abu Hamid Al-Luzoni, Hannah Santos, Nurumija Amdal (alias Ridz), Mursidi Balao (alias Iding), Ismael Idiris (alias Maing), Anne Anover and Bodot Abdullah (alias Rashid).

Malik refused to give any statement to the media. Instead, he shook hands with Gappal Bana (alias Boy Negro), a former Abu Sayyaf member who helped the government obtain a guilty verdict against the Valentine’s Day bombers.

Malik and RSM comrades were charged with rebellion before the Makati Regional Trial Court in connection with the raid at their Zamboanga City hideout where police seized a map of Metro Manila, 49 rounds of anti-tank rockets, six blasting caps, four M-16 rifle bullet clips, ammunition bandoleers, electrical tools, computers and subversive documents.

Judge Encarnacion Moya of Makati Regional Trial Court ordered the prosecution to submit additional evidence on Nov. 15 against the other accused, who remain at large.

They are Khaddafy Janjalani, Jamal Sali (alias Abu Solaiman), Police Officer 3 San Amdal, Fatima Santos, Tyrone Santos (alias Dawud Santos), Khalil Pareja (alias Rash), Raffy Pio de Vera, Abdul Kareem Averas, Omar Lavilla, Mike Rueca (alias Britney) and Ashty Dan.

"After examining the record of this case, the court is convinced that there is probable cause to believe that the accused committed the crime as charged in the amended information," she said.

"Wherefore, let a commitment order be issued and set the arraignment of all the above-named accused on Nov. 10, 2005 at 2 p.m."

Ahmed (alias Abu Lakay) was arrested by authorities last Oct. 25, along with his wife and five others in their hideout in Zamboanga City.

Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco, who is handling the case, said the indictment for rebellion is warranted because the evidence indicates that the accused were members of either the Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist groups.

"The bombing operations or terrorist attacks they have launched are part of their overall objective to topple the government for the purpose of creating an independent Islamic State," he said.

The charge sheet alleged that the accused acquired firearms and explosives and carried out several bombing missions in different parts of the country from the year 2000 up to the present, including, but not limited to, the Valentine’s Day bombing in which four persons were killed and about 60 others injured.

Velasco said new information from a member of Ahmed’s group has implicated Dawud and the others in the rebellion case and thus warranted their inclusion in the list of the accused.

In furtherance of the rebellion, the accused "conspired with each other and transported large quantities of firearms and explosives and carried out several bombings in different parts of the country from 2000 to the present," he added.

"As a result of said bombing missions, several lives were lost and several others were seriously injured and additionally, private and government properties amounting to millions of pesos have been destroyed," he said.

Rebellion is a non-bailable offense. — Jose Rodel Clapano