Witness: Bus bomber sketch resembles Basilan terrorist

MANILA, Philippines - Government agents have reportedly taken into custody a witness who has identified one of the two persons being sought in the bus bombing in Makati last Tuesday.

The witness said the man in one of the police sketches resembles Nurhasan Jamiri, a Basilan-based terrorist.

The suspect was described in the sketch as 25 years old, 5’6” in height, of medium build, with black hair and eyes.

Metro Manila police commander Director Nicanor Bartolome said he had not heard Jamiri’s name mentioned during their investigation into the bus bombing.

“We have no particular group or individual as yet as suspects in the case,” he said.

“Our investigation is ongoing and we would only release our findings after we are sure who really are behind the incident.” Bartolome told The STAR.

Earlier, Bartolome said the persons in the police sketches could provide good leads as to who planted the bomb inside the bus.

A source told The STAR that the witness has identified Jamiri as one of the five Rajah Solaiman and Abu Sayyaf members who arrived in Metro Manila two weeks ago.

Combined police and military intelligence agents are now gathering evidence to link Jamiri to a politician in Mindanao who could have masterminded the attack.

The Mindanao politician is allegedly in hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against him for a bombing in Metro Manila a few years ago which killed his political rival.

The STAR source did not say how the witness came into government custody, or whether he was after the P1-million reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects.

Police and military intelligence agents are also closely coordinating with their assets in the South to conduct a background check on Jamiri, as well as his knowledge of bomb-making.

Bartolome said there is no new development as yet in their investigation of the bus bombing.

Chief Superintendent Jose Arne de los Santos, head of Special Task Force Goldliner, claimed that they have already identified 15 of the 24 passengers of the ill-fated bus.

Police investigators are taking statements of the passengers to reconstruct their seating arrangement and possibly to get a clear description of the persons who planted the bomb.

De los Santos, director of the Southern Police District (SPD), said the interview of the passengers, including those still recuperating in hospitals, would be over soon “so we could release our findings on Monday.”