Intel agents foil ASG bomb attacks; 3 arrested
The Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed to have foiled the planned bomb attacks of the Abu Sayyaf in a number of malls and other places in Metro Manila with the arrest of three suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group-Urban Terrorist Group (ASGUTG) in Quezon City last November 10.
PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa presented the suspects – Abdul Gaffar Jikiri alias Abu Bakar Jikiri, 19; AlimSabtalin, 19; and Sadam Jhofar, 24 – to the media on Friday. Jakiri and Jhofar are both from Tuburan, Basilan while Sabtalin is from Lamitan, Basilan.
Prior to the arrest of the suspectsin Barangay Culiat, Quezon
City, Jikiri was reportedly monitored by intelligence agents posting on his Facebook (FB) account plans to launch bomb attacks in Metro Manila.
Jikiri allegedly posted photos of high-powered firearms and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) saying these would be used to kill the kaffir (nonbelievers) and the munafiq (Muslim apostates). He also reportedly posted photos of targets which included a mall and a park in Manila and photos of him and other armed youth.
Dela Rosa said the arrest of the suspects is the result of an intensive intelligence gathering effort during the ASEAN Summit to secure the foreign leaders and their delegates.
Aside from malls, the three suspects also monitored the activities at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CPP) Complex and public parks.
“We are still conducting a profiling on them. But what is confirmed by the intelligence community both from the AFP, PNP and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that they are indeed members of the Abu Sayyaf Group based in Basilan,” Dela Rosa said in a Filipino.
“They have not admitted it yet, but apparently through our diligent efforts in conducting investigation apparently they have plans (to conduct bombings),” he added.
Dela Rosa said any terror attack at the height of the ASEAN Summit would damage the reputation of the Philippines as the host of the ASEANevent.
When asked if there is a current threat in Metro Manila, dela Rosa said they are not discounting the possibility of an attack happening the reason why the PNP has not lowered its alert status.
Secure
But the PNP chief assured the public that the PNP and other law enforcement agencies are working 24/7 to secure the community.
“That’s the only assurance we can give you, that we are not sleeping on our job,” Dela Rosa said.
While the suspects were arrested prior to the start of the ASEAN Summit, Dela Rosa said it was kept under wraps so as not to disrupt follow-up operations.
“Just in case I presented them to media much earlier, those we are still trying to track down will be alerted that’s why it’s hard to reveal any information that would lead to failure of a follow-up operation. That’s why we had to hold it. We don’t want to give unnecessary anxiety sa public,” he added.
Dela Rosa said a background check conducted by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD)under Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazarin coordination with the NBI-Counter Terrorism Division (NBI-CTD) and other law enforcement agencies confirmed that Jikiri is a member of the ASG-UTG based in Basilan and associated with the Maute ISIS-inspired terror group.
Jikiri reportedly left Basilan for Metro Manila last October 9 via Zamboanga City.
Sabtalin and Jhofar arrived in Metro Manila much earlier and met with Jikiri.
Eleazar said the QCPD and NBICTD tracked down Sabtalin and Jhofar to the Salaam Compound in Brgy. Culiat,where the three suspects were arrested through the support and cooperation of the Muslim community leaders.
Seized from Jikiri were a caliber .45, M1911 US Army pistol with four live ammunition, two 20 mm M-203 rifle grenades, and six cellular phones. Confiscated from Sabtalim were a 9mm pistol with four live ammunitions and a cellular phone. Jhofar yielded a Colt caliber .45 M1911 pistol with three live ammunitions.
The three were charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and violation of the gun ban in relation to the ASEAN Summit before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s office.
Jikiri is also facing a separate charge of Illegal Possession of Explosives.
“The arrest of the three suspects was part of the government’s continuing effort against terrorist groups, as well as the anti-criminality campaign of the PNP and the NBI. It was also part of the effort of the law enforcement and intelligence community in securing the recently concluded ASEAN Summit,” Eleazar said.
A terror attack could have happened if not for that interdiction, Eleazar said and thanked the Muslim community in the Salaam area for their cooperation and full support by not tolerating any illegal activities such as terror attacks.
NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde, meanwhile, is not discounting the possibilitythat the suspect’s leader could still be hiding in Metro Manila.
“That is possible. Actually we are continuously conducting intelligence monitoring on them. Like we said we will not stop until we arrest them,” Albayalde said. (With a report from Alexandria Dennise San Juan)