‘Marwan planned to bomb papal convoy’

MANILA, Philippines - Terrorists planned to bomb Pope Francis and his convoy along T.M. Kalaw Street in Manila as he made his way to Rizal Park to celebrate mass for millions last Jan. 18.

Sacked Special Action Force (SAF) commander Chief Superintendent Getulio Napeñas revealed yesterday that they had information that Southeast Asian terror cell Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and its bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, had planned to construct a bomb to be detonated as the papal convoy traversed T.M. Kalaw Street that Sunday. Marwan was killed by SAF police a week later in Maguindanao.

“These reports were not confirmed, neither admitted nor denied by the Philippine National Police but the fact remains that there exists this information,” he said.

Speaking before the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, Napeñas said Marwan may have trained up to 300 terrorists in explosives use and detonation.

“These undeniable facts and information clearly show the danger that this Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Marwan bin Hir poses to the public,” he said.

At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, quoting National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, said: “No specific report to this effect was received, and this threat was thereafter assessed to be minimal.”

Napeñas said police had received reports in the past few days that some 30 of Marwan’s students in bombing and demolition are roaming Central Mindanao – ready, willing and able to create widespread fear and terror.

“They will panic our countrymen through the use of improvised explosive device,” he said.

Napeñas said Marwan had strong connections with Khaddafy Janjalani, the slain Abu Sayyaf commander.

Marwan later took Janjalani’s widow as his wife, he added.

Napeñas said police had been receiving intelligence reports over the past four years that Marwan was hiding in Mindanao under the protection of the Abu Sayyaf, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Police had information that Marwan had been hiding in the Philippines since early 2003, he added.

Police, Army troops and Marines are hunting down Abu Sayyaf terrorist bombers that Marwan had trained.

Rear Adm. Reynaldo Yoma, Task Group Zambasulta (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) commander, said Marwan was reported in many instances frequenting Basilan, the Sulu provinces, as well Central Mindanao to train the Abu Sayyaf in bombing and demolition.

“We know for a fact that he was a bomb making expert, so in his several years of stay in that area, we assumed that he trained a lot of people,” he said. “So the reports saying that he has trained 300 people already, that is possible.”

Yoma spoke on the sidelines of the 24th Philippine National Police (PNP) anniversary at Camp Abendan in Barangay Mercedes in Zamboanga City yesterday.

Yoma said a number of Abu Sayyaf bomb training and manufacturing sites in Basilan and Sulu have been previously discovered and a big volume of bomb-making materials seized.

“We would like to deny them materials and the continuous pursuit operation is to disrupt their bomb making planning and activities,” he said.

The military is monitoring Marwan’s other foreign confederates, including Filipino bomber Basit Usman in Basilan and Sulu, Yoma said.

Security forces are increasing the pressure to flush out Usman from his hiding place in Maguindanao.

Usman was able to escape when police commandos raided a terrorist lair in Barangay Pidsandawan, Mamasapano town and killed Marwan before dawn of Jan. 25.

Armed Forces public affairs chief Harold Cabunoc said the police and the military have launched a joint operation to capture Usman.

“We have information that he is still in Maguindanao,” he said.

A source privy to the anti-terror operation said troops and police are now in the area waiting for good intelligence before going into action.

“For now, our ground action is intelligence-based,” the source said. “The next move would be punitive or actual action to get Usman.”

Marwan was notorious in the Philippines and in almost all nations in the world. He was responsible for the bombing in Bali, Indonesia in 2002 that left 202 civilians dead.

Marwan was also wanted in his native Malaysia for the killing of a Christian member of parliament in 2000.