ZAMBOANGA CITY – A Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) bomb expert spearheaded the attack outside Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City on May 29, according to former members of the separatist movement.
Zamboanga City police director Senior Superintendent Lurimer Detran identified the MILF bomb expert as Salahuddin Hassan, who belongs to the separatist movement special operations group.
“The perpetrator of the bombing attack outside the air base was the job of MILF members,” he said
Based on information from Central Mindanao, Hassan is the brother-in-law of Moqasid Delna, MILF special operations group chief, Detran said.
Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat announced the progress of the investigation on the bombing incident outside the air base that killed two people and wounded 21 others.
“This is just the first step and the second step is being pursued by our authorities to hunt the suspect and place him before the bar of justice,” he said.
Lobregat and Detran presented a sketch and an enlarged computer printout of Hassan based on a mug from SOCCSKSARGEN police.
Detran said former MILF members, now in custody of the Department of Justice witness protection program in Cotabato, confirmed that Hassan was indeed the person whose face was on the sketch.
A copy of Hassan’s picture, taken inside Camp Darapanan in Simnay, Sultan Kudarat, was sent to this city for corroboration by the witness to the bombing outside the Air Materiel Wing and Service Loan Association Inc. outside Edwin Andrews Air Base, he added.
Detran said Hassan was charged with double murder and multiple-frustrated murder before the Zamboanga Prosecutor Office yesterday.
“The MILF operator has also pending similar bombing cases in Cotabato and was hunted for several months before he disappeared in the area,”he said. – Roel Pareño