Gov't monitoring group behind foiled NAIA bombing

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said today that it has started monitoring members of a group, which is believed to be behind an attempt to bomb different establishments in Manila, including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Chinese Embassy.

NBI Director Virgilio Mendez said the agency has placed under surveillance members of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), who are mostly from Mindanao. Mendez said this is being done to avert future attacks following the arrest of their alleged leader, former presidential candidate Ely Pamatong and three military reservists.

He said the NBI started its surveillance over the group's activity in southern Philippines as Pamatong is a resident of Cagayan de Oro province and that he has a number of followers in Mindanao.

The NBI seized Pamatong at the NAIA terminal 2 at 5:40 p.m., Wednesday when he arrived from Cagayan de Oro City in southern Philippines in connection with the 2004 "spike attack."

Prior to Pamatong's arrest, three members of the USAFFE were arrested on Monday for attempting to bomb the country's main airport and SM Mall of Asia. Authorities said the three suspects had also planned to strafe the Chinese Embassy and the headquarters of property developer D.M. Consunji Inc., which employed hundreds of Chinese staff.

Justice Secretary De Lima said Tuesday that Pamatong has publicly confirmed that he knew the three suspects and that he is commander-in-chief of USAFFE.

Pamatong, who became infamous in 2004 after his supporters scattered steel spikes on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue following his derailed presidential bid, claimed to hold a "five-star general" rank in USAFFE.