2 alleged bombers faced raps for Valentine's bombings

The police have confirmed the involvement of the two men, who were killed in a shootout last Thursday, in the Valentine's Day bombings in three key cities around the country last year.

Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Branch chief Paul Labra yesterday said that Ali Usop and Datu Neil Ulama were among those charged for the carnage that started with bombs exploding in General Santos City, then Davao, and Makati.

Labra said that a case against the two have already been filed before the Department of Justice for their participation in the Valentine's Day bombings.

The police are now tracking other members of the Rajah Sulaiman Movement, who are believed to still be in Cebu. The two suspected bombers, who were killed last week, were identified as members of the group.

The RSM has also been tagged responsible for many other bombing incidents in the past.

Labra said that that improvised explosive device that had two rifle grenades, which were found near the entrance of a mall in the North Reclamation Area, matched the bombs that were recovered by the police from suspected RSM members, who fled during a raid late last month in Metro Manila.

"We are 100 % sure that the bomb nga na-recover are the kinds of bombs made by the RSM , but as to where they have acquired the materials, ato pa nang gi -check," Labra said .

A team from the Bomb Data Center of Camp Crame last Saturday found fingerprints on the bomb that matched the prints of Usop.

Labra also clarified that they never used the word "Muslims" to describe the two alleged bombers knowing that this might hurt the members of the Muslim community in Cebu, who have been very cooperative to the police.

Earlier, Office of the Muslim Affairs (OMA) director Sakiran Hajan criticized the police for erroneously declaring that the suspects were "Muslims" in the absence of proof.

Labra said that there has been no problem with the Muslim community here in Cebu since they attest their support on counter terrorism efforts by supplying them with information on the arrival of suspicious people.

Meanwhile, Sr. Supt. Lani-o Nerez, the Deputy Director for Operations who is also in charge for the security preparation of the coming ASEAN Summit in December, said that last Thursday's incident has made them review their security plans for the upcoming summit.

Nerez also cited the need to closely monitor the sale of explosives and urged the Firearms Explosives Security Agencies and Guards Supervisory Section (FESAGSS) to help ensure that explosives won't fall into the wrong hands.

The PNP has also scheduled anti-terrorism seminars for security personnel of hotels, malls, and shipping companies as part of the summit preparations.

Nobody has yet claimed the bodies of the two dead suspected bombers at the Cebu Eternal Homes where they were brought.

A staff of the funeral parlor said that last Sunday, a man, who had the accent of somebody from Mindanao, called up to ask if somebody has already claimed the bodies.

The two alleged bombers were killed during a hot pursuit operation last Thursday night when they exchanged gunfire with the police.

The police were called to respond after a customer of the mall alerted the guard about a box that was left by two men near the entrance of the mall.

The RSM is also tagged as responsible for the Super Ferry bombing in 2004.

The simultaneous bombings on Valentine's Day last year started outside Gaisano Mall in General Santos City. After which, another bomb explosion took place at the Ecoland bus terminal in Davao City. The third bomb blasted away an RRCG Transport bus along EDSA near the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Ayala Station. At least a dozen persons were killed and over a hundred were wounded in the said bombings.