Bombing suspect eludes arrest

ZAMBOANGA CITY — An engineer, suspected to be one of the bombers of a lodging inn and a food chain here last week, eluded arrest yesterday in a village near a military camp, officials said.

Region 9 elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), backed by the local police, the anti-terror Task Force Zamboanga and the Armed Forces Southern Command swooped down on the suspect’s lair in Barangay Baliwasan.

Superintendent Gregorio Pimentel, regional CIDG chief, said the suspect could have sensed the arrival of the joint police-military team and escaped just before his safehouse on Johnston street was surrounded.

The raiding team, however, found drug paraphernalia, packed substances believed to be shabu, and unknown powder believed to be chemical explosives in the safehouse.

Documents in Arabic, which they believe contain details of the bombing attacks, were also found

Prior to the raid, Pimentel said they had received strong information that the suspect’s group was hiding in the safehouse.

Last week’s bombing demolished the lodging inn and fastfood outlet and wounded 30 people.

Three arrested bombing suspects are now detained at the City Reformatory Center while awaiting trial.

Col. Edgardo Gidaya, Task Force Zamboanga chief, said security remains tight as the other suspects are being hunted.

Senior Superintendent Henry Losañez, city police chief, said they are readying charges of multiple frustrated murder against the second batch of suspects who still remain at large.