Abu Sayyaf extortion is seen behind Sulu bombing
text HADER GLANG

Extortion from suspected Abu Sayyaf group is seen as the possible motive behind the bomb explosion Monday that ripped through a cooperative store in Jolo, Sulu, where 9 people were killed and twenty-four others injured.

A government radio station reported that prior to the blast, which took place around 1:15 p.m., the office of cooperative store received an extortion letter that demands unspecified amount and threatens to bomb the establishment if it refuses to give in.

“We will give example to those who did not cooperate. Right now tell the owner of coop there is a bomb inside the store,” read some words in the extortion letter, signed by a certain Abu Abdul Gawi, expert bomber of Sulu, the report said.

Sources said the bomb was planted in front of the baggage counter of Consumer Cooperative Store at Sanchez St. in between the Cathedral and Notre Dame College, and it exploded while authorities were responding to an information of bomb plot in the area.

Nine people, mostly sales workers of the cooperative store, died on the spot while 24 others were injured. Six of the slain victims were identified as Nasser Hajirol, Maser Saipuddin, Jesus Cabrera, Marivic Manuel, Mokarsa Abdurahim, and Titing Nafisa. Three other slain victims whose faces were deformed by the blast were unidentified.

The wounded victims were Sitti Julma Hajiri, Marissa Sindayin, Marifer Sindayin, Rex Acosta, Lorena Ibrahim, Mudzna Hamid, Hadja Asma Baddiri, Sanita Waldapabo, Joseph Amo, Guialin Cayado, Oscar Sontelenosa, Carmina de Guzman, Mary Concepcion de Guzman, Gabriel Flores, Thelma Kasim, Rafayza Kasim, Maria Socorro Doronilla, Benhamin Timbayan, Nurhima Adin, Jaydani Adin, Asula Noriya, Carita Guarda, Balama Jubahani, and Nadzra Basiri.

Bomb probers said based on their initial findings, the bombing is similar to the bombing last month that ripped through a videoke bar near the a military headquarters, where a civilian died and injured more than a dozen people.

Sources said suspects in the bombing used more or less 5 kilos of ammonium nitrate as evident by the extent of damage on the store. Pieces of electronic device to include parts of cellular phone were recovered from the blast site.

Earlier reports said that a marine soldier suspected of being involved in the bombing was taken into custody, but was released after hours of grilling by police due to lack of evidence.

Colonel Juancho Saban, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, denied involvement of his men in the blast, saying that one of his men was arrested for possession of firearm and not due to the bombing incident.

“We hope we remain calm. Let our authorities do their job and investigate this condemnable happening,” Saban said. “We hope the people understand the real situation in our town because there are forces wanted us to be divided. Let’s not allow this.”

According to police Sr. Supt. Ahirom Ajirin, provincial police commander, "The bomb was placed inside a bag, which was left at the baggage counter of the store. The explosion was so powerful, a concrete wall of the store collapsed.”

Ajirin said police and rescuers sifted through the debris of the collapsed wall because more victims were trapped under it.

No one claimed responsibility for the blast and it was not immediately known if the attack was connected to the ongoing military offensive against the Al Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.

"We are still investigating who were behind the blast," Maj. Gamal Hayudini, spokesman of the Southern Command. "We don't know if the bombing was perpetrated by Abu Sayyaf. Our explosive ordnance team is still investigating this.”

The blast occured two weeks after government troops captured an Abu Sayyaf weapons courier Julkaram Hadjail on Jolo and security forces killed several militants in a separate clash on the island.

Security forces also recovered early this month a cache of Abu Sayyaf explosives and homemade bombs near a highway in Jolo's Indanan town where troops regularly pass.

Officials said the cache included plastic containers filled with ammonium nitrates and TNT and all rigged to electronic timers and cellular phones to trigger detonation when scavengers discovered them near a garbage dump on KM. 3 in the village of Tagbak.

The highway links the towns of Indanan, Maimbung and Talipao which the military regularly use to transport troops.The Abu Sayyaf is on a US list of terrorist organizations and Washington has offered as much as $10 million bounty for the capture of the group's known leaders.It is blamed largely for bombing, assassination, kidnapping and extortion activities. (ZS)