3 Indons to get fair treatment — PNP

A police official assured the Indonesian government yesterday of fair treatment for three jailed Indonesians who were arrested last week after explosive components were seized from them.

Senior Superintendent Jaime Caringal, chief of Task Force Sanlahi, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda has nothing to fear because the Philippine National Police (PNP) is "extending its hospitality" to Agus Dwikarno, Tamsil Linrung, and Abdul Jamal Balfas.

"They have been treated fairly well," he said.

Dwikarma, Linrung and Balfas were arrested Wednesday last week at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on suspicion of being international terrorists.

Caringal said Indonesian Embassy officials visited the three in jail last Monday and asked them if they had any links with Jemaah Islamiyah, a secret group suspected to be linked with Osama bin Laden’s international terrorist network, al-Qaeda.

The Indonesian officials talked with Dwikarno, Linrung and Balfas at the Intelligence Group’s detention center in Camp Crame, Quezon City from 3 to 7 p.m., he added.

Caringal said the Indonesian Embassy’s defense attaché was expected to question the three jailed Indonesians yesterday about allegations that they are terrorists.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the Philippines and Indonesia have agreed to cooperate with one another in fighting terrorism in Southeast Asia.

Earlier in Jakarta, Wirajuda said Indonesia would seek further information from Philippine authorities about the condition of Dwikarno, Linrung and Balfas.

"Based on a preliminary report I got, the three were caught carrying some kind of explosive device," he said. "They were not bombs, but components to build explosive devices. We really regret this."

Charges of illegal possession of explosives have been filed against the three, who have been under surveillance on suspicion that they were connected with jailed suspected terrorist, Indonesian Fathur Rohman al Ghozi.

Authorities have linked Jemaah Islamiyah to Bin Laden, the principal suspect in last year’s Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the United States. –Christina Mendez