Makati bus bomb suspect falls

Manila, Philippines - An alleged bomb expert, tagged in a bus bombing in Makati City last Jan. 25, was arrested in Lucena City, Quezon province Thursday night and charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday.

The bombing of a Newman Goldliner bus, in which four persons were killed and 14 others were wounded, was one of the first terror attacks under the administration of President Aquino.

Julane Luganao Sison, 34, was charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR).

Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines officials refused to issue a statement on the arrest, saying Malacañang will make the official announcement.

Sison was arrested in Barangay Dalahican, Lucena City while reportedly carrying materials for making an improvised explosive device – 17 cell phones, two grenades, packs of C4 and TNT, a blasting cap, and electrical wires. He also had two homemade shotguns and a fan knife.

Sison was also carrying a notebook with several cell phone numbers as well as SIM and memory cards, according to intelligence reports.

State Prosecutor Pedro Navera said the complaint will undergo further investigation after the suspect’s lawyer, from the Public Attorney’s Office, agreed to a waiver converting inquest proceedings into a full-blown preliminary investigation.

A hearing has been set on June 20.

ASG or NPA?

A police report said during the initial interview, Sison “introduced himself as Jonathan Romero, a Balik-Islam since 2007.”

Reports reaching Camp Crame said Sison also goes by the aliases Abdul Jabar, Ryan Sison, Mojak, Sali and Jula.

Members of the Balik-Islam community are former Christians who convert to Islam. They believe that people are born into Islam and converts are just returning to their original faith.

But in a text message, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., said Sison was a member of local Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front–New People’s Army (CNN).

A report – dated June 2 and submitted by the Military Intelligence Group 4 or MIG4 and MIG17 to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – said Sison was taken to the police headquarters in Lucena City for disposition. The report was signed by Maj. Gen. Romulo Bambao.

The STAR learned that Sison was then brought to the CIDG-NCR for documentation.

Authorities also learned that Sison has a standing warrant of arrest issued three years ago by Compostela Valley Regional Trial Court Judge Hilarion Clapis for murder.       – With Edu Punay