Al-Khobar warns of more attacks in Koronadal

Koronadal City – A man claiming to be a member of the notorious Al-Khobar extortion gang warned of more bomb attacks against the Yellow Bus Line (YBL) Co. for its continued refusal to give what it demanded from the bus firm.

Olimpio Par, operations manager of YBL, told The STAR that the man called up their office three times Wednes­day and warned the company that the bomb attacks they staged against the YBL is not yet over.

Par recorded all the calls, which he exclusively showed to The STAR yesterday inside his office.

The said calls were received by one of the YBL staff.

In his first and second calls at the office of YBL that took place at around 9:50 a.m. and 3:25 p.m., respectively, the man warned the company that they will include the employees and buildings owned by YBL on their next attack.

Par said after receiving the two calls, he immediately sought the assistance of South Cotabato police director Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala who at once deployed several policemen and K-9 dogs in the company’s office and garage buildings.

After five minutes (or 3:30 p.m.), the man called again and said, “Bakit wala kayong action sa hinihingi namin. Kung ayaw ninyong makinig ito na ang huli nating pag-uusap. Mag­hintay lang kayo. Gusto ninyong madagdagan sakit ng ulo ninyo.”

Par said the mobile phone number used by the unidentified caller was the same when he called the YBL office before the two bombs went off inside and outside the company’s terminal Aug. 3 that killed a Christian preacher and injured 12 other persons.

The Aug. 3 incident was the third attack against the YBL in two months time.

The continued attacks against YBL caused alarm among businessmen and they viewed it as “bad incidents” for business since bomb attacks “will not do good to the trading climate of the city.”

Earlier, the South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (SCCCII) urged the authorities to intensify their intelligence works to determine the identities and whereabouts of Al-Khobar members and the people behind its operations.

Al-Khobar, suspected to be an extortion wing of Indonesian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and with links to the notorious Abu Sayyaf group, had been reportedly demanding P500,000 monthly protection money from the YBL to finance their cause.

Al-Khobar’s presence was first noticed by authorities when it claimed responsibility in the series of bomb attacks against the Weena Bus Company based in North Cotabato and admitted that it demanded P500,000 monthly protection money from the said bus firm.

Security officials appealed to the public to be vigilant, saying the business of preventing the bad plans of the Al-Khobar gang is also the business of the public.

The 72nd Infantry Batallion (IB) based in nearby Tupi town has deployed two teams of its soldiers to help secure the terminal once the YBL resume its operations. Until now, its operation is still suspended.