CA confirms conviction of 3 Valentine’s Day bus bombers

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the conviction of three Abu Sayyaf terrorists for the Valentine’s Day bombing of a bus in Makati three years ago that killed four passengers and left 68 other people injured.

In a decision written by Associate Justice Edgardo Sundiam, the CA’s 17th Division affirmed the decision of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) convicting Gamal Baharan, alias Tapay; Angelo Trinidad, alias Abu Khalil; and Indonesian Rohmat Abdurrohim, alias Jakie or Zaky.

The CA lowered their penalty from death to a maximum of 40 years in prison without parole after Republic Act 9346 abolished the death penalty.

Records show that on Oct. 18, 2005, the three men were found guilty of the complex crime of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder by the Makati RTC Branch 60 on the two cases.

All three were ordered to pay P50,000 each or P400,000 for the four victims who died and civilly liable for damages amounting to P1 million.

In the Makati RTC trial, Rohmat pleaded not guilty, while Baharan and Trinidad admitted to multiple murder charges.

Prosecutors have dropped charges against another suspect, Gappal Bannah Asali, after he became a state witness.

Prosecutors also charged Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani and Jainal Sali alias Abu Solaiman. Janjalani and Sali are dead.

During the five-month trial, one of the witnesses, Elmer Andales, a conductor of the bombed RRCG bus, identified Baharan and Trinidad as passengers who left the bus in a hurry shortly before the blast.

The four passengers who died during the bombing were Jose Marie Dajulong, Rosario Mercado, Bernardo Rosarito and Ronnie Soriano.

The RRCG bus was cruising the southbound lane of Ayala Avenue near the MRT station at around 7:30 p.m. when the bomb exploded.   – Mike Frialde