P3M bounty ready
Blast suspects deny accusation
DAVAO City Mayor Sara "Inday" Duterte-Carpio said Tuesday that the city government is ready to release the P3 million bounty to those who were able to arrest and provide information on the suspects behind the Davao bombing on Sept. 2, which killed 15 people and left 69 others injured.
The three suspects, however, denied involvement in their counteraffidavits during a preliminary hearing at the
Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday. Their lawyer pointed out that they were not arrested in a checkpoint as claimed by authorities.
Duterte, during the unveiling of the memorial marker, said that they are awaiting reports of the authorities pertaining to the apprehension of the perpetrators.
"We are waiting for them to give us the report to whom we would turn over the reward," Duterte told reporters in an ambush interview, adding that it would still be reviewed by the Public Safety Command Center (PSSC).
According to her, if the necessary reports have been submitted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) who arrested the suspects, and the review has been completed, the bounty will be given.
"We will release the reward accordingly," Duterte said.
It can be recalled that Duterte initially offered a P2 million reward wherein P1 million is allocated for anyone who can provide information about the identity of the suspect and P1 million for the one who can arrest the suspect. But, few days after, she raised it to P3 million after a law maker and businessman donated P500,000 each.
On Oct. 4, the suspects identified as TJ Macabalang, Wendel Facturan and Musali Mustapha were nabbed at a checkpoint onboard a motorcycle last Oct. 4 in Cotabato City. They were alleged members of the Maute Group.
Evidences such as videos and photos from the incident were found on the suspects' confiscated mobile phones.
According to authorities, these are strong evidence against the suspects.
"It is, however, important for us to remember that the arrest must ultimately lead us to the dismantling of terror groups in our midst or result in the failure of more senseless acts of violence and extremism," Duterte said in a statement.
Suspects TJ Tagadaya Makabalang, Wendel Facturan, and Musali Mustapha submitted their respective counter-affidavits during a preliminary hearing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday.
The documents were not given to the media but according to Ma. Eliza Jonalyn Barquez, the suspects' legal counsel, the three denied in their affidavits the charges filed against them by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
The three men who are alleged members of the Maute group are facing criminal charges for violation of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and Illegal Possession of Explosives Law.
Barquez added the three also denied the reports of the CIDG that they were arrested in a checkpoint in Cotabato City.
"There was no checkpoint," Barquez said.
The PNP-CIDG earlier said that the three suspects were nabbed in a checkpoint in Cotabato on October 4.
A local report from Cotabato City last October 5, 2016, said that Macabalang’s father, Teng, reported to the PNP Cotabato City Station 2 that at around 6 p.m. of October 4, unidentified men kidnapped his son TJ, owner of Stickerworks, along with a man the elder Macabalang identified as Wendel Apostol Pactuan, 19, in front of the Ubaida Motorparts along Gov. Gutierrez Avenue in Cotabato City.
This report is according to Brigada News FM Cotabato City and is accessible in the Brigada Facebook page.
In this report, Chief insp. Carlo Jurenario said that the two were waiting for somebody who was going to buy their Honda XR 200 at Suzuki Raider in front of the Land Bank along Gov.Gutierrez. While waiting, a van and a gray Toyota Innova with no plate number stopped and armed men forced the two inside.
When the suspects were presented in Manila, it was claimed that materials used for making an improvised explosive device, a sub-machine gun, and a cal .45 pistol were seized from them in a checkpoint.
The authorities also confiscated their cellphones where they found a video recording of the September 2 bombing in Davao City.
Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Peter Ong said the case is now submitted for resolution.
The bombing attack at the Roxas market in Davao City killed at least 15 and injured 70. It prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in his home province.