DILG Chief Eduardo Año on Jolo bombing: 'Case closed'

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities consider the deadly bombing of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu as solved, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said yesterday. 

Año made the statement during his confirmation hearings before the Commission on Appointments after Sen. Risa Hontiveros asked him for an update on the bombing that killed more than 20 people and wounded over a hundred others.

“We already consider the case as solved with the identification of the perpetrators and the arrest or the placing into custody of the five suspects. Some people are still at large and three suspects are dead, including two suicide bombers,” Año told lawmakers.

“We have determined that this was really perpetrated by suicide bombers,” he said.

Año said the Philippine National Police (PNP) filed charges of 23 counts of multiple murder and 95 counts of frustrated murder as well as damage to property against the suspects.

“I would like to share that in the time we were solving the case that the (local government units) played a very important part – they provided a lot of information, they have been very cooperative and facilitated the arrest of the suspects,” he said.  

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III pressed Año to improve the PNP’s intelligence-gathering capability and help in the government effort to counter religious extremism.      

Año said his department has been conducting regular dialogues with stakeholders, including local officials and Muslim religious leaders, in a bid to combat extremism.

Abu Sayyaf leader Hatib Hajab Sawadjaan, the alleged mastermind in the Jolo bombings, is now head of Islamic State (IS) in the country, Año said.

Año added that while Sawadjaan remains a traditional Abu Sayyaf, he assumed leadership of militants influenced by IS following the death of Isnilon Hapilon in an encounter with state security forces in October 2017 when he and rebels belonging to the Maute group lay siege on Marawi city.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) noted that principal suspect Mukammar Pay alias Kammah and Albadji Gadjali alias Apah, Radjan Gadjali, Kaisar Gadjai and Said Alih have been charged before the regional trial court in Jolo, Sulu.

Kammah, alleged bomb maker and a brother of slain Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Surakah Ingog, is reportedly the leader of the Ajang-Ajang subgroup of the local terrorist group.

He denied involvement in the bombings.

But prosecutors cited eyewitness accounts as basis for indicting him and the other respondents.

DOJ spokesman Markk Perete said there is no plan yet to transfer the cases from Sulu to a court in Metro Manila.

“The evidence and witnesses necessary to prosecute the case are in Jolo. Hence, it would be more efficient to hold trial there unless compelling reasons exist for the transfer of trial in Manila. As of now, we have yet to receive any request from our prosecutor to effect such transfer,” he explained.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will also look into the possibility of a link of the Sulu, Zamboanga city and Lanao del Norte bombings, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday.

Just like in the Jolo blast, Guevarra said the NBI would also identify the people behind the attacks in Zamboanga and Lanao del Norte and determine their motives.

The DOJ chief also revealed that the NBI had faced difficulties in its probe on the Jolo bombings. 

“It seems that the physical evidence on site had not been properly preserved before the NBI’s field agents came in,” Guevarra said.

Guevarra said he gave the bureau more time to complete its investigation.

Abu Sayyaf

At least two Abu Sayyaf members were killed while another was wounded and captured in separate anti-terrorist operations in Sulu, according to authorities.

The operations were launched yesterday by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, backed by elements of the Special Action Force, to capture Alex Habbibondin alias Amah Alex, who was wanted for murder.

But Habbibondin fired at the lawmen triggering a shootout, which resulted in his death.

Troops from the 41st Infantry Battalion killed an Abu Sayyaf member, wounded and captured another on Tuesday afternoon in Maimbung town, according to Col. Gerry Besana, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom).

The bandit was identified as Murtasil Paradjil alias Muster Ibla, who sustained multiple wounds during the encounter.

Paradjil was brought to the military station hospital in Camp Gen. Teodulfo Bautista.

“Your Armed Forces continue to adhere to the rules of engagement and the principles of International Humanitarian Law, which dictate the protection of hors de combat or out of action due to injury in armed conflicts, despite the fact that our adversaries only resort to non-conventional methods in engaging our troops,” Westmincom commander Lieutenant Gen. Arnel dela Vega said in a statement. – With Edu Punay, Roel Pareño, Emmanuel Tupas