Police show CCTV video on airport bombing in Zamboanga

Local authorities here on Sunday showed to media a video taken from CCTV security camera footage that justifies the linkages of suspected bombers in Thursday's bombing near the arrival area of Zamboanga City International Airport.

In a press conference at City Hall, the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) chaired by Mayor Celso Lobregat presented pieces of evidence captured from the CCTV video footage establishing the linkages of Reynaldo Apilado and Hatimil Yacub Harun.

The authorities also showed a CCTV video footage of some scenes, including Apilado and Harun who were waiting near the arrival area when the explosion occurred.

Based on the CCTV footage, Saipudin together with a companion checked at Imperial Hotel on July 27, 20010 and the next day Apilado, Harun and a companion took over the said hotel room and continued until July 31, 2010.

The video footage showed that on August 1, 2010, the three persons transferred to a bigger room at the same floor in room 203 and until August 5, 2010, the day of the bomb explosion at the city airport.

It furthered that at about 3:15 in the afternoon on August 5, Apilado together with Harun and other companions left the Imperial Hotel. It showed Apilado returning a hotel key in the counter.

It also showed the suspects suspect were in the stairway going down and walking away outside the hotel.

Police Regional Office 9 (PRO 9) chief Edwin Corvera told reporters that in their investigation those finger prints taken from the hotel and the identification cards match with the finger prints of Apilado.

Meanwhile, Directorate for Integrated Police Operations Western Mindanao (DIPO WesMin) director Angelo Sunglao said they are looking into on whether a backbag was given to Apilado at the airport.

"Because based on the CCTV footage, when they (suspects) checked out from the hotel apparently they had no carried a bag...so we are investigating who carried the bag that was used," he added.

Sunglao said they are open to all the possible motives, one of which is the political, but said they are not discounting other motives.

But he said that, "with the development linking the pieces of evidence is leading to that point (more or less political)."

Earlier, during questioning by Philippine National Police chief Jesus Versoza with Governor Sakur Tan of Sulu, the latter told authorities that the the bomb attack was intended for him.

Tan also told General Versoza that Cocoy Tulawie, the main suspect in the first bomb attack on the Sulu governor a year ago in Patikul, was behind the Zamboanga City airport bombing last Thursday.

Tulawie, a former councilor of Jolo, Sulu and a leader of Bangsamoro Consortium of Civil Society, is facing warrant of arrest together with three companions for the first bomb attack on Governor Tan's convoy in Sulu.

He remains at large as of this report and he is now the subject of manhunt operation by police and military authorities.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lobregat clarified certain publication about the identification of the mastermind of the bombing who attempted on the life of Governor Tan of Sulu.

He said the authorities are looking at past attempts on the life of Governor Tan, wherein there were several suspects who have warrants of arrest.

"So the instructions of the PNP chief (General Jesus Versoza) is to make sure that there is a manhunt for those that have warrants of arrest," the mayor explained.

He said: "It does not necessarily mean that those suspects are the masterminds that cannot be more or less made very definite at this point in time."