Valentine’s Day 2005 bomber nabbed in Quezon

Police believed they have thwarted possible terrorist attacks with the arrest of one of the suspects in the Valentine’s Day 2005 bombing during an operation last week in Quezon province.

Chief Superintendent Romeo Ricardo, director of the Intelligence Group (IG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Ricardo Ayeras, a pioneer of the Rajah Solaiman Islamic Movement (RSIM), has a direct link to the plan to carry out a series of bombings, which the group dubbed "Bing Bang," during Holy Week of 2005.

"Ayeras was one of the key players to plan to carry out bombings during Holy Week, which was preempted with the arrest of Dawud Santos and seizure of about 600 kilos of explosives on Holy Wednesday in Quezon City," Ricardo said.

Just before the Valentine’s Day bombings in 2005, Ayeras was personally chosen by RSIM leader Hilarion "Ahmad" Santos to be part of a core group of selected RSIM members given the task of bombing key establishments in Metro Manila frequented by foreigners, particularly Americans.

According to Ricardo, the "Bing Bang" was to be held during Holy Week in 2005 at the Rajah Sulayman park in Malate, Manila, a haven for local and foreign tourists.

Ricardo said Ayeras had volunteered to drive a truck loaded with explosives prior to the Valentine’s Day bombing in Makati City.

"He was behind the logistics in all their bombing operations by getting money from Akmad Santos and distributing the funds to bombers in the field," Ricardo said.

PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon said Ayeras’ arrest was part of the nationwide disruption operations conducted by the IG in support of the overall effort to ensure the safe conduct of the international summits in Cebu from Jan. 10 to 15.

He maintained that there was no specific threat to the forthcoming summits.

"The arrest of Ayeras only proves that our policemen continue to go after terrorists to prevent them from carrying out attacks," Calderon said during the PNP-sponsored forum Talakayan sa Isyu ng Pulis at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Calderon said Ayeras was arrested on Jan. 3 by elements of the PNP-IG while hiding out at Barangay Mangayao, Tagkawayan in Quezon province by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the crime of rebellion issued by Makati City Judge Marissa Guillen.

The rebellion charges stemmed from the bloody Valentine’s Day bombing of a bus in Makati City, which killed four people and wounded more than 60 others.

Ricardo said IG operatives had to travel for several hours by trolley to get to the hideout of Ayeras, who has been in hiding for almost two years.

"My men spent the New Year there just to catch Ayeras," he said.

Ayeras received paramilitary training at an RSIM camp in Anda, Pangasinan. He eluded arrest when the joint police and military troops raided the camp on May 1, 2002.

In 2003, Ricardo said Ayeras, Pio de Vera, Feliciano "Abubakar" delos Reyes, and Ibrahim Kessel, alias Abu Mujaheed, underwent military training conducted by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Liguasan Marsh, Maguindanao.

He said among the trainers were MILF members Jabidi, Bedz, and Beze as well as Abdulmanap Mentang.

Ayeras had gone into hiding in 2005 after police and military personnel raided the RSIM safehouse at Lilac Street in Fairview, Quezon City where 600 kilos of explosives and paraphernalia were seized.

Ayeras, who rented the Fairview apartment, and De Vera were primarily responsible for the procurement of the explosives seized there.

"Ayeras initially fled with his wife Noemi to Negros Oriental, where he used the name Jay Perez to mislead the authorities looking for him," said Ricardo, who noted that Ayeras transferred to Nasugbu, Batangas in March 2006, hidden by a relative of his wife.

Sometime in May 2006, Ayeras went to the house of a friend in Tagkawayan, Quezon province to continue hiding. He used the Muslim name Abdul Mujib but continued using Jay Perez as his Christian name.

Calderon commended the IG and directed them to intensify the campaign against terrorists to prevent future attacks.