Bomber turns tables on cops

A police official and his two men who played key roles in the arrest of Rizal Day bomber Ismael Abbas, may soon join the suspected terrorist in jail.

This after Judge Leticia Ulibarri of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 168 issued an arrest warrant against Senior Inspector Jesus Kabigting and PO2s Ernesto Orat and Dennis Fadol, of the Task Force Jericho of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), on the strength of the maltreatment of a prisoner complaint filed against them by Abbas.

Judge Ulibarri’s move came after the Ombudsman found probable cause that the three policemen mauled Abbas in the course of his arrest at his hideout on 65 Banaag street, Barangay Pineda in Pasig City last Jan. 3, 2002.

Abbas, alias Bebot, was tagged as the man who purchased the red Mitsubishi Lancer, which was packed with explosives and set-off at a cargo terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) three years ago.

The blast injured six people.

A few days prior to the blast, Abbas was videotaped driving the car around Metro Manila in the company of Saifullah Yunos alias Moqlis and Mohammed Guidolongan, both members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Yunos was arrested last month at the airport in Cagayan de Oro City, together with Egyptian Dia Algabre.

During tactical interrogation, Yunos admitted his group, including Abbas, were behind the planting of powerful bombs that exploded simultaneously inside a Light Railway Transit coach in Blumentritt station and the Plaza Ferguzon in front of the US Embassy in Manila; a passenger bus on EDSA in Cubao, Quezon City; a cargo terminal at the NAIA and a gas station near the Dusit Hotel in Makati City.

Yunos also played a key role in the bombing of power transmission lines in Lanao del Norte a few moths ago.

Abbas serves as the contact of the MILF in Metro Manila, Kabigting said, adding that witnesses identified him as one of the persons who alighted from the car before it exploded at the NAIA.

At the time of Abbas’ arrest, Kabigting was assigned at the intelligence division of the Southern Police District (SPD), which has jurisdiction over the airport in Pasay City.

Abbas was charged for his role in the cargo terminal bombing before the Department of Justice (DOJ). His lawyer Macapanton Abbas filed before the Ombudsman kidnapping, illegal arrest and physical injuries charges against the arresting officers.

Kabigting has filed a motion before Judge Ulibarri for the lifting of the arrest warrant against him and his men.

"It is normal and part of the job," said Kabigting of the order to have him arrested. "It is probably part of the effort of the suspect and the MILF to harass us."