ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Government security forces tagged the Abu Sayyaf bandit group as behind Friday’s car bomb attack that left two persons dead and 54 others wounded here, Mayor Ma. Isabela Climaco-Salazar said yesterday.
Salazar said the police and military have leads on the incident that occurred in Barangay Guiwan. She said the car came from Davao and its plate was swapped.
As this developed, Salazar said President Aquino is expected to visit this city today to assess the security situation following the incident.
The mayor said a security official informed her about the visit and they were waiting for the President’s itinerary.
“The purpose of the President is to address the issue of the bombing incident,” she said.
The mayor said the bombing was connected to last Monday’s incident when city jail personnel foiled an attempt by the bandits to rescue their detained comrades.
She said the bandits planned to destabilize the government by launching diversionary tactics and to show that the group has the capability to use car bombs.
Salazar said she would take the opportunity to tell Aquino that moves to transfer the 57 detained bandits from the Zamboanga City Reformatory Center to a jail facility in Taguig City could have triggered the bombing.
“I will ask him to allow the transfer of the bandits from the city jail because their presence here poses a threat and a magnet for terrorism,” she said.
The mayor said she has asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II to transfer the bandits.
Authorities said the bandit group’s initial plan was to launch an attack against civilians, particularly on a bus terminal. Police officers patrolling near the targeted bus terminal discouraged the suspects from executing their plan.
Since the suspects had the bomb with them, they opted to leave the car rigged with improvise explosive devices between a bar and a food stall. Reynaldo Tan and Dennis Valiente were killed in the attack.
Police investigators are reviewing footage taken by a closed-circuit television camera installed at the area.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President had been briefed on the situation and ordered authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly.
Valte also said she could not yet comment on the motives for the attack as authorities have yet to determine whether it was meant to hurt people or to derail the Mindanao peace process. – With Aurea Calica, Jaime Laude, John Unson