‘London bomber was also here’

The leader of the July 7 suicide bombings in London visited a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist training camp in the jungles of central Mindanao earlier this year, Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas revealed yesterday.

Gullas said Mohammed Sidique Khan, the leader of the London suicide bombings that killed 56 people, visited the JI training camp in Mindanao on a "reconnaissance mission" for the al-Qaeda terror network.

"We obtained information that Khan was in Mindanao on a reconnaissance mission for al-Qaeda, trying to see how much money was needed to keep the terrorist group’s activities going smoothly," Gullas said in a statement.

The Cebu lawmaker, however, did not elaborate on when Khan had visited the Philippines.

But Gullas claimed Khan was escorted by Nasir Abbas, a senior JI member who has since cooperated with the Indonesian police in tracking down JI terrorists.

Gullas made the disclosure after Indonesian authorities claimed two Malaysians — Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top — among the suspects in last Saturday’s bombings in Bali, Indonesia that left 26 people dead, had trained in the JI terror camps in the Philippines.

"This latest information that we obtained, as well as the Indonesian police’s new revelation, underline the fact that southern Philippines has become a convenient sanctuary and training ground for the JI and other regional terrorist groups," Gullas said.

He called on Congress to take its part and act swiftly in helping the government contain the global scourge of terrorism.

"Congress should waste no time in passing new legislation that will define and codify terrorist acts and remove restrictions on evidence gathering against suspected terrorists," Gullas said.

The Indonesian police said Azahari, also known as the "Demolition Man," honed his bomb-making skills in Mindanao in 1999.

Noordin, also known as the "Moneyman," also developed his fund-raising and recruiting skills in the southern Philippines. He has since specialized in recruiting prospective suicide bombers.

In the report of the US National Counter-terrorism Center, the JI is cited as one of the 11 foreign and indigenous terrorist groups known to be operating in the Philippines.