4th suspect in foiled US embassy bombing held
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has arrested another person allegedly involved in leaving an improvised explosive device (IED) near United States Embassy in Manila last Nov. 28, PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa said yesterday.
He said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday in Zambales through the information provided by Mohammad Jumao-as, another suspect who was nabbed the day before in Bulakan, Bulacan.
At 7 a.m. on Nov. 28, a street sweeper found a cellular phone with black and red wires connected to a black circular object covered by electrical and packaging tape.
It was inside a trash bin along the south bound lane of Roxas Boulevard, just meters away from the US Embassy.
The Manila Police District bomb squad responded immediately and detonated the IED.
Authorities said there were at least five persons involved in the foiled bomb attack.
Already arrested are Rashid Kilala, Jiaher Guinar, Jumaoas and the latest suspect whom dela Rosa refused to identify.
Kilala and Guinar, both from Marawi City, are members of rebel group Ansar al-Khilafah.
Dela Rosa said that according to the suspects, they brought two explosive devices, including the 105 mm projectile, in Luzon from Mindanao through land travel.
“As far as that group is concerned, they said there were two (explosive). Loaded in a Revo that they brought from Mindanao to Manila, they covered them with pillows so it would be noticed in case of a checkpoint, and so far the two IEDs are now in our custody,” he said.
Dela Rosa said the bombs recovered from the suspects are destructive and can kill people within its 70 to 80 meter radius.
He also said that the IEDs were military’s unexploded ordnance as it cannot be bought easily.
“These were recovered (from rebel groups) either these were used in Mindanao, the soldiers fired them but did not explode, and were taken by enemies. It’s also possible that there is pilferage in the supply of the military, but that remains to be proven,” said dela Rosa. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/Sunnex)