Witness identifies bombing suspect

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A witness has positively identified one of the three suspects in last Wednesday’s bombing here, police officials said yesterday.

Police said one of the suspects was seen planting an explosive device inside a multicab parked in front of several business establishments before it exploded.

Zamboanga City police chief Senior Superintendent Henry Losañez identified the three suspects as Adzmar Abdulraup, 33; Angon Asmann, 32; and Ibnoyatim Samier, all from Tipo-Tipo, Basilan.

The police yesterday filed with the Department of Justice a case of multiple frustrated murder against the suspects.

"We have already taken the statement of the witnesses to back up our case," Losañez said.

At Malacañang, President Arroyo lauded the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law-enforcement agencies for the arrest of the three bombing suspects.

Congratulations, General Lomibao, you have arrested three of the suspects in the (Zamboanga City) bombings," the President said, referring to PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao, during the seventh anniversary celebration of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption at Malacañang.

In presenting the suspects during a press conference, Losañez told Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Arturo Lomibao that they had not ruled out a fourth accomplice.

He said the fourth suspect might be one of the people wounded during the bombing.

Police asked state prosecutors yesterday to file criminal charges against the three suspects over apparently coordinated bombings that injured 26 people.

Lomibao said the three suspects would be brought to court later and charged with attempted murder.

"These three were the ones who were seen by bystanders placing the IED (improvised explosive device) underneath the multicab jeep, which was the one destroyed in the explosion," Lomibao said.

"We’re looking at some other suspects, but we’re withholding their identity as of the moment," he added.

Lomibao said three other people held for questioning in Zamboanga on Thursday were "not suspects."

The suspects were picked up Wednesday night hours after the bombings took place at a nearby hostel along Campaner street.

One of the suspects was among the wounded victims, Losañez declared.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said four of the 26 wounded were being investigated for possible involvement, but he declined to identify them.

Lobregat blamed "terrorists" for the attack, but said police had no immediate leads pointing to a specific group.

The city chief executive also vowed justice for the 30 victims and those whose business establishments were damaged in the blasts.

"The suspects will be tried appropriately," Lobregat said, as he appealed for the immediate passage of the anti-terror bill in Congress.

The police and military, on the other hand, are still on full alert here maintaining their presence in the downtown areas.

Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said troops from the Naval Forces Western Mindanao, 3rd Tactical Operation Wing, Marine Forces South, K-9, and Task Force Zamboanga have augmented police forces in securing the city.

Braganza earlier declared the bombings could have been a "diversionary tactic" of the Abu Sayyaf and the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small, armed group of Islamic militants operating mainly in southern Mindanao that has been blamed for various terror attacks including the bombing of a ferry last year in Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people. — Roel Pareño, AFP