2nd suspect in Zambo blast charged

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police have filed double murder and multiple frustrated murder charges against a second suspect in the May 29 explosion outside the Edwin Andrews Air Base here that left two persons dead and 21 others wounded.

The second suspect, Salommudin Hassan, said to be a member of the Special Operations Group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was charged before the city prosecutor’s office Thursday morning, said Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran, city police chief.

Last week, police filed similar charges against Salahuddin Hassan, a cousin of Salommudin. Both have pending arrest warrants in Cotabato.

The MILF has repeatedly denied allegations that its men had a hand in the bombing and called on the police to refrain from issuing inconclusive information.

Detran, however, said some of those wounded in the blast positively identified the Hassan cousins.

“The filing of the charges will speed up our hunt for the suspects,” Detran said.