Supreme Court affirms conviction of Abu bombers

MANILA, Philippines - A day after a bus was bombed in Makati, the Supreme Court (SC) affirmed the conviction for murder and frustrated murder of three Abu Sayyaf terrorists found guilty of bombing another bus in Makati on Valentine’s Day in 2005.

The SC upheld the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Makati Regional Trial Court finding guilty Gamal Baharan alias Tapay, Angelo Trinidad alias Abu Khalil, and Rohmat Abdurrohim alias Abu Jackie or Zaky.

“Conspiracy was clearly established from the ‘collective acts of the accused-appellants before, during and after the commission of the crime’,” read the SC decision.

The SC gave weight to the testimony of Gappal Bannah Asali alias Negro, the fourth suspect, who had turned state witness.

“What can be culled from the testimony of Asali is that the Abu Sayyaf Group was determined to sow terror in Metro Manila, so that they could ‘show their anger towards Christians’,” read the SC decision.

“It can also be seen that Rohmat, together with (Khadaffy) Janjalani and Abu Solaiman, had carefully planned the Valentine’s Day bombing incident, months before it happened.”

Asali told the Makati court during trial that Rohmat had trained him to make bombs and explosives.

While undergoing training, he was told that the Abu Sayyaf’s mission was to plant bombs in parts of Metro Manila, he added.

It was revealed during trial that Asali was tapped to secure eight kilos of TNT and other bomb-making components.

Asali had testified that the night before the Valentine’s Day bombing, Trinidad and Asaran got two more kilos of TNT.

Asali said Abu Solaiman called after the bombing to advise him against going to crowded areas because the bomb had already exploded in Makati.

A day after the bombing, Rohmat congratulated him for the “successful mission,” he added.

Four people died and 60 were injured in the 2005 attack, while Tuesday’s bombing killed five people and injured 14.

The SC decision was penned by Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.