Police tag more suspects in Zamboanga airport suicide bombing

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 4, 2010) – Philippine police have implicated a former lawmaker and two defeated mayors as allegedly behind the failed assassination of Sulu Governor Sakur Tan in a suicide bombing outside the Zamboanga International Airport.

Tan was among over two dozen people wounded in the August 5 terror attack. The bomber, Reynaldo Apilado, and Hatimil Haron, one of his cohorts, were killed in the blast.

Chief Superintendent Edwin Corvera, the regional police chief, said former Sulu Representative Munir Arbison was implicated by witnesses to the bombing, including two of his political allies, ex-mayors Najib Maldiza of Maimbung town, and Ahmad Nanoh, of Pangutaran.

Arbison ran against Tan in general elections in May this year, but he lost. Both Maldiza and Nanoh also lost in the elections.

Senior Superintendent Edwin Diocos, regional chief of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said the three politicians were implicated by at least 4 witnesses who claimed to have knowledge of the failed assassination of Tan.

“Based on the testimonies of witnesses that they were among (those) who talked (and) conspired with each other (to kill Tan) in a certain place here in Zamboanga City and somewhere in Manila,” Diocos told reporters, adding the witnesses were present during the planning to assassinate Tan.

“The four witnesses were there present during the planning,” he said.

Police also implicated at least three more men – Allan Sabudin, Muamar Astali and Adong Salahuddin – in the attack after they were seen in a hotel security video in Zamboanga City together with Apilado and Haron before the bombing. The three men remain at large.

But police also accused Maulana Omar, Jojo Adam, Musimar Alih, Munir Hadjirul and several more who are allies of Arbison in the failed assassination of Tan.

Arbison in an interview with a local television station has denied all the accusations against him. “We will answer all the accusations. I know my conscience is clean,” he told TV 11.

Tan also survived a roadside bombing last year in Sulu province, but ten of his companions, including a town mayor, were wounded in the attack. One of the suspects in the bombing, Abner Tahil alias Abs was arrested late last month in the village of Kasangyangan in Jolo town in Sulu.

Tahil was also being investigated for his role in the latest attack on Tan.

National police chief Jesus Versoza said the attack was connected to the failed assassination of Tan last year. Police blamed the roadside explosion to the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf after two of its bombers were captured in a firefight with security forces and they pointed to Tan’s political foes as the mastermind in the failed assassination.

Corvera previously said they have received information from people claiming to have knowledge or were involved in the failed assassination of Tan. He said most of the information was passed to them through a police hotline they put up after the bombing.

He said information they received allegedly tagged a defeated congressional aspirant in Sulu province as behind the airport bombing while another implicated two defeated town mayors who are known political foes of the governor, and several policemen and that a bounty was put up by the mastermind to assassinate Tan. A third politician in Sulu, who lost in the May elections, was also implicated in the bombing. (Mindanao Examiner)

Alleged brains behind Zambo airport blast tagged: ABS-CBN

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Three former Sulu officials were identified by police on Friday as the alleged masterminds in the August 5 blast at the Zamboanga airport.

Former Sulu 1st District Rep. Munir Arbison, former Maimbung Mayor Najib Maldiza, and former Pangutaran Mayor Ahmad Nanoh were the brains behind the blast, according to Chief Superintendent Edwin Corvera, Zamboanga Peninsula regional police director.

The attack killed 2 people, including the suspected bomber, and injured 22 others.

Corvera said police have submitted additional information to the Department of Justice, adding the names of the 3 former officials on the list of suspects in the attack.

The other names added on the list of suspects are Maulana Omar, Jojo Adam, Musimar Alih, and a certain Munir Hadjirul, police said.

Multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder charges were earlier filed against 3 suspects -- Allan Saibuddin, Addung Salahuddin, and a John Doe.

Corvera said 4 witnesses have submitted sworn affidavits implicating the 3 former Sulu officials and 4 other suspects.

Senior Superintendent Edwin Diocos, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) regional director, said the witnesses took part in planning the airport bombing, which targeted Sulu Governor Abdul Sakur Tan.

The witnesses claimed that Arbison, Maldiza, and Nanoh hatched three separate plans to kill Tan, Diocos said.

The supposed schemes include a car bomb and the May 13, 2009 Patikul attack on the governor’s convoy.

The airport blast was “Plan C,” the CIDG official said.

Zamboanga City prosecutor Ricardo Cabaron is evaluating the affidavits of the witnesses to determine whether to charge the 3 former Sulu officials and the other suspects named in the case. (ABS-CBN Zamboanga - RJ Rosalado)


Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/09/03/10/alleged-brains-behind-zambo-airport-blast-tagged

‘Whiners who cry fraud deserve to lose’ - Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Losing candidates who cry fraud and claim to have received offers to cheat in the May 10 automated polls “do not deserve to be elected” for not reporting the cases immediately, according to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s former election lawyer.

Romulo Macalintal, who defended Ms Arroyo against fraud allegations in the 2004 elections, Tuesday described as “impossible” stories of fraud attempts now coming out in Congress.

He scolded the complainants for their “sins of omission” for reporting the cases only after they lost.

“You really deserve to lose the elections if that’s what you did. You do not deserve to be elected. You do not have the right to say that you are looking after the welfare of our nation,” Macalintal said.

“Because if you have concern for our country, that would have been what you did—have them arrested,” he said.

Macalintal did not identify the losers, but those crying fraud and alleging offers from poll cheats included Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers, Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro, Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor and Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison.

Hearsay

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez Tuesday said not all statements of fraud allegations coming out in the House hearing were substantial.

Golez, who won his reelection bid, said during the hearing that he was concerned that the formal inquiry had been beset with statements of hearsay rather than of personal knowledge.

He cited the statements of lawyer Homobono Adaza that he had talked to a person who told him about a supposed offer to rig the elections for P1 billion.

Golez said he preferred that the stories be told in their entirety and not left hanging. Anybody who says somebody told him something should name the person, he added.

“If a story could not be completed, it should not be started at all,” he said.

‘Impossible’

But Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said it was not hearsay for Adaza to say that he had talked to a person and to ask that that person be summoned to the House hearing.

Macalintal said candidates alleging offers of machine-switching or electronic vote manipulation might well have been victims of scams by syndicates pretending to have the means and connections to cheat in their favor for hefty fees.

“It’s a good thing they did not pay up. If there were some who did, they are stupid. They were just duped,” Macalintal told reporters at a Church-organized forum in Intramuros, Manila.

“I do not believe that there was such switching of PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machines or of memory cards. Could you imagine the phenomenon of doing that in every precinct? There could be a pandemonium of sorts. It is impossible that those syndicates could have done that,” he said.

The candidates should have arranged entrapment operations to catch the syndicates, Macalintal said. That would have been “the best opportunity” for them to do good for the nation, he added.

“But what did they do? They go to Congress and when asked who came to them, they’ll say, ‘I don’t know, I already forgot the number.’ My God, this is a very, very important matter and then you lose the number?” he said.

IT experts

Macalintal also decried IT (information technology) experts coming forward with their own theories about how PCOS machines and memory cards could have been cheated.

During the same forum, one such expert, Roberto Verzola of Halalang Marangal, claimed that the discrepancies in transmitted data and election returns spotted last week by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) indicated that there was a “malicious code” in the PCOS machines that automatically shaves or pads votes for certain candidates.

The PPCRV, however, said the discrepancies were too small to cause concern. Results from 29 precincts of more than 43,000 precincts showed differences in transmitted and printed results.

Can’t be proven

“These types of alleged cheating cannot be proven by anyone who calls himself an IT expert. No IT expert could prove the alleged fraud in this election,” Macalintal said, adding that experts had no evidence to back their claims.

Macalintal said that proving fraud could only be done through a manual ballot count, though he saw no basis to conduct one yet as the validation of election results had yet to uncover major discrepancies. (Tarra Quismundo. With a report from Leila Salaverria)


Link:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100526-272068/Whiners-who-cry-fraud-deserve-to-lose

Sulu solon denies involvement in failed bomb attack vs gov

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (ABS-CBN / June 12,2009) - A Sulu congressman on Thursday has denied involvement in the failed May 13 bomb attack against Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan.

Sulu 2nd district Rep. Munir Arbison, through his lawyer Fred Jimenez, said he has nothing to do with the May 13 bombing, that exploded just as the convoy of Tan was passing in the vicinity of the Sulu capitol.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it filed on Wednesday criminal charges against Munir and five other suspects in the failed bomb attack against Tan.

The PNP said that Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-9 (CIDG-9) filed a case of frustrated and attempted murder against Arbison, Timogen "Cocoy" Tulawie and four others identified as Muammar Askali, Sulaiman Muin, Juhan Alihuddin, a certain Abs and several other John and Peter Does.

Muin and Alihuddin are now in the custody of the CIDG and have reportedly issued their extra-judicial confession, purportedly detailing how the explosion was planned and executed.

Jimenez said that he discovered that one of the alleged witnesses to the May 13 bombing alleged that Tulawie told them that "should the case be brought to the court, Arbison will be there to help them."

Arbison also denied the allegation in a text message to ABS-CBN News.

“It’s not really fair. Hindi ko nga kilala ang nahuli at I have never spoken to Cocoy Tulawie personally or by cellphone . Alam mo naman, anti-Abu Sayyaf ako. At tahimik ang 2nd district ng Sulu,” said Arbison in the text message.

Tulawie meanwhile also denied participation in the blast. In a phone interview, Tulawie said he was praying with his son when the explosion took place near the Capitol grounds.

Tulawie said, Tan is merely trying to "get back at him for initiating an investigation on the alleged violations being committed by members of the Civilian Emergency Force (CEF) which Tan created when he placed Sulu under emergency rule."

Tan submitted his affidavit to the office of the Regional State Prosecutor in connection with the explosion on Wednesday.

Arbison meanwhile also said that he was not mentioned by Tan in the affidavit submitted to the prosecutor’s office.

“Further report that I had a role in the incident is belied by the very complaint affidavit of Gov. Tan subscribed and sworn to before 1st assistant city prosecutor Orillo yesterday as my name was not mentioned in the said complaint-affidavit. Nor any involvement or participation by me in the incident was ever alluded to me by Gov Tan,” said Arbison in another text message to ABS-CBN News.

Arbison meanwhile also belied the PNP report that a case has been filed against him.

“The news report that a criminal complaint for frustrated and attempted murders regarding the attempt to assassinate Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan by explosive was filed with the regional state prosecutor's office in Zamboanga City yesterday is not true. No such [case] was filed,” said Arbison in the second text message.

Arbison also said he has not even received a summons from CIDG and was surprised to read a news report that a case has already been filed.

Tan was on his way home from the provincial capitol in Patikul town when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded near his official vehicle.

The governor survived the attack. Pandami town Mayor Hatta Berta, who was accompanying the governor, and nine others were hurt in the bomb blast. (With reports from Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga and Ces Oreña Drilon, ABS-CBN News)


Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/11/09/sulu-solon-denies-involvement-failed-bomb-attack-vs-gov

Congressman charged for bomb attack on Sulu gov

MANILA, Philippines (ABS-CBN / June 11, 2009) - The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday filed criminal charges against a sitting congressman and four other suspects in the failed bomb attack on Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan lay May 13.

In a report, the PNP said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges of attempted murder and frustrated murder against Sulu 2nd District Rep. Munir Arbison "in connection with the attempt on the life" of Tan.

The CIDG filed the same charges before the Regional State Prosecutor in Zamboanga City against four other suspects identified as Cocoy Tulawie, Moamil Askali, Sulaiman Mohammad Muin and Juhan Albani Alihuddin.

Director Raul Castañeda, CIDG chief, said the Arbison, Tulawi and Askali were charged based on the "extra-judicial confession" of Muin and Albani, who were arrested in Patikul town, Sulu province last May 26.

"The two suspects have volunteered to give extra-judicial confession to help investigators piece together details of the May 13 bombing," the PNP said in a statement.

Tan was on his way home from the provincial capitol in Patikul town when a bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded near his official vehicle.

The governor survived the attack. Pandami town Mayor Hatta Berta, who was accompanying the governor, and nine others were hurt in the bomb blast. (ABS-CBN)

Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/06/11/09/congressman-charged-bomb-attack-sulu-gov

League Thumbs Down Splitting Of Sulu In South RP

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 25, 2007) - The League of Municipalities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has flatly rejected a proposal to divide Sulu into two provinces.

Sulu’s Second District Representative Munir Arbison, who is on his third and last term, wanted the province divided.

Arbison made the proposal shortly after his reelection in May and he is said to be aspiring to run as governor of the new province in the 2010 national elections.

But majority of Sulu’s 18 municipal mayors were opposed to the division of the province, saying, “the proposal would only cause dissension and disunity among the locals and will only be a stumbling block to peace, progress and prosperity.”
Arbison previously said that he has the support of the mayors.

But the League of Municipalities in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, passed a resolution signed by 15 mayors withdrawing their support to the proposed division of the province.

The resolution said the mayors were misled into believing that splitting Sulu into two provinces will bring additional funding support and progress.

“The division of the province of Sulu would adversely affect the territory of the province of Sulu and will reduce the capacity of the province to survive as a political unit,” noted the resolution.

“The present administration of the province of Sulu under the able and competent leadership of the Honorable Gov. Abdusakur Tan is creating along an effective governance of the province and have induced at this early a positive change towards the development of the province.”

The League of Municipalities in Sulu, headed by Mayor Isnaji Alvarez of the town of Indanan, also sent copies of the resolution to the Sulu Provincial Board, ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and the ARMM Legislative Assembly.

A copy would also be sent to President Gloria Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia III and Senate President Manny Villar.

The others who signed the resolution were Mayor Munib Estino, of Panglima Estino and also the Secretary-General, of the local League of Municipalities; Mayor Kabir Hayudini of Patikul; Mayor Nedra Burahan of Panglima Tahil; Mayor Sitti Raya Tulawie of Talipao; and Mayor Najib Maldisa of Maimbung.

Mayor Hussin Amin of Jolo; Mayor Gafur Ab­durajak of Panamao; Mayor Arthur Muksan, of Siasi; Mayor Nurmina Burahan of Pata; Mayor Abdusali Asmadun of Lugus; Mayor Ahmad Nano of Pangu­taran; Mayor Rizal Ting­kahan of Parang; Mayor Wahid Sahidulla of Ban­guingui; and Mayor Hatta Berto of Pandami also signed the resolution.

The three remaining mayors who did not sign the resolution were Nasser Daud of Tapul; Mayor Alrazmie Halun of Kalingalang Caluang and Mayor Ahmad Omar of Luuk, known supporters of Arbison.

Sulu has an area of 1,600 square kilometers and is the 15th largest island in the Philippine Archipelago, in terms of area. Sulu is classified as a first-class province in terms of income.(Mindanao Examiner)