Maute group men nabbed for Davao blast

MANILA, Philippines - Three suspected members of the notorious Maute group have been arrested for the Davao City bombing last month, which was reportedly staged to disrupt military operations in Sulu.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana yesterday presented the three suspects at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

The three were identified as TJ Tagadaya Macalabang, Wendel Apostol Facturan and Musali Mustapha.

“We have recovered solid pieces of evidence showing that they are indeed the terrorists who bombed Davao City on Sept. 2,” Lorenzana said.

Ten more suspects who took part in the deadly bombing are being hunted by security forces.

Security forces raided a supposed safehouse of the group in Cotabato City where the father of Macalabang was also arrested.

Military and police troops seized several high- powered firearms, explosives and ammunition at the safehouse allegedly maintained by Teng Macalabang.

A total of 15 people were killed and 70 others were wounded in the blast that rocked the busy night market in Davao City.

Authorities initially blamed the Abu Sayyaf for the attack.

The Abu Sayyaf had claimed responsibility although police said they were still trying to verify this.

The attack rattled the normally peaceful home city of President Duterte, who typically spends his weekends there.

Duterte was in Davao at the time of the bombing but far from the site of the blast outside a hotel where he often holds meetings.

The bombing forced Duterte to cancel his trip to Brunei and declare a state of lawlessness to allow the military to be deployed in urban centers to back up the police in setting up checkpoints and increasing patrols.

Lorenzana said the three suspects were arrested on Tuesday when they tried to avoid an Army checkpoint in Cotabato City.

The three were riding on a single motorcycle, officials said.– With John Unson, Evelyn Macairan