Failed bomb attack a terrorist plot - Aglipay By Christina Mendez The Philippine Star 12/29/2004
The bomb planted at the G-liner passenger bus on Christmas Eve in Manila could have killed all its passengers had it not been discovered an before its timed explosion, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Edgar Aglipay said yesterday. Aglipay issued the statement following Monday's shootout inside the old PNP Intelligence Group building at Camp Crame that killed PO1 Rolando Nolasco and bombing suspect Allan Borlagdatan, a member of the Rajah Sulaiman movement with alleged links to the international terror group Jemaah Islamiya. "The improvised explosive device (IED) planted on that bus was not only meant to scare. It was designated purposely to cause death and destruction considering the type of explosives used and the selection of the target," he added. This was the first time that the PNP admitted that the Dec. 24 foiled bomb attack was part of a move to terrorize Metro Manila. "We are thankful that the bomb was discovered a before it could detonate. Had the bomb detonated, it would have destroyed the bus and killed all its passengers," Aglipay said. Borlagdatan, also known by his Muslim name Abdul Hakim and believed to be a member of the Rajah Suliman movement with alleged links to the international terror group Jemaah Islamiya, allegedly grabbed the M-16 rifle of PO1 Rolando Nolasco and shot the officer dead while he was being escorted to his detention cell, but he was gunned down by another officer after ignoring orders to surrender. Borlagdatan sustained five bullet wounds from M-16 rifles while Nolasco sustained two bullet wounds coming from his own service firearm, a caliber .45 pistol. Aglipay, however, refused to immediately link Borlagdatan to the JI terror cell operating in the Southeast Asian region, pending results of follow-up operations. "We leave that for our investigators to determine. We are tracking down other suspects in the incident," he said. Aglipay said intelligence agents who arrested Borlagdatan last Monday in Valenzuela found a caliber .38 revolver and several SIM cards with names of his believed contacts in Metro Manila and Mindanao in his possession. "These cell cards from different cellular phone companies are now being examined," he said. Intelligence officials admitted that they have doubled monitoring activities of extremist groups in a bid to thwart any retaliatory attack as an offshoot of Borlagdatan's death. Meanwhile, quoting reports from Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, police said the "design of the device (used in the Dec. 24 foiled bomb attack) is similar to other bombs that were exploded and recovered in past bombing incidents of suspected JI and Abu Sayyaf groups." Police said the comparison was arrived at after the WPD explosives team coordinated with experts from the US Embassy, which found that the chemical composition was trinitrotoluene or TNT. A huge amount of TNT powder were also used in the Rizal Day bombings that ripped a passenger bus in Cubao, Quezon City and an LRT coach in Blumentritt station, and exploded in Plaza Ferguson across the US Embassy in Manila, a vacant lot near a gasoline station in Makati City, and the cargo terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City on Dec. 30, 2000. As this developed, Borlagdatan's family cried foul over police's accusations that the man was linked to terrorist groups engaged in plotting bomb attacks in Metro Manila. "Mabait siyang tao. Nabigla kaming lahat na patay na siya. Walang katotohanan na siya ay terorista. Muslim siyang maiituring pero hindi siya terorista (He is a kind person. We were all shocked with news of his death. He may be a Muslim but he is not a terrorist)," said the victim's uncle, Judy Nastor, 28, a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo. Nastor was with his mother, Eufemia, and other relatives at the St. Ignatius Chapel across Camp Crame yesterday to get the remains of Borlagdatan who was set to be buried in Islamic rites at the Muslim cemetery in Maharlika Village in Taguig yesterday. Nastor also denied police claims that Borlagdatan was arrested in their residence in Barangay Paso de Blas in Valenzuela. "We were supposed to fetch him at the (North Luzon) tollgate (exit) but we did not see him decided to go home," Nastor said, adding that Borlagdatan even sent a text message that he was arriving yesterday afternoon to spend the New Year celebration with them. In a press conference yesterday morning, Aglipay, however, said Borlagdatan was arrested on May 2, 2002, along with Redendo Cain Dellos, Dawid del Rosario Santos, Pio Abagne de Vera, Marcelo Egil and Angelito Trinidad at the Madrasah Islamic School in Barangay Malag, Ando town when retired general Reynaldo Berroya was the regional director of Central Luzon. He jumped bail and went into hiding, police said. - Christina Mendez http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200412296301.htm ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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