By FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD • ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has uncovered the plan of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) to carry out bomb attacks in Metro Manila during the country’s hosting of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, following the arrest of its three alleged members in Quezon City on Friday last week.
PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa made the revelation during a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City, yesterday.
Dela Rosa identified the arrested suspects as Abdul Gaffar Jikiri alias Abu Bakar Jikiri, 19, from Tuburan, Basilan; Alim Sabtalin, 19, from Lamitan, Basilan; and Sadam Jhofar, 24, also from Tuburan, Basilan.
The PNP chief said the suspects, during their arrest, were arrested last November 10 in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City, for illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
Dela Rosa said the joint operation against the suspected ASG-Urban Terrorist Group (ASG-UTG) members was launched after receiving information that Jikiri was planning a terror attack in Metro Manila with the help of Sabtalin and Jhofar.
Prior to the arrest of the suspects, Jikiri was monitored by intelligence agents posting on his Facebook (FB) account, hinting his plan to launch terror attacks in Metro Manila.
He posted photos of high-powered firearms (HPFAs) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with a caption that they would be used to kill the kaffir (non-believers) and the munafiq (Muslim apostates).
He also posted photos of targets including a mall and a park in Manila and photos of him and other armed youth.
Dela Rosa said the arrest of the three suspects was part of intelligence fusion efforts during the holding of the ASEAN Summit in the country.
He said aside from malls, the suspects who are said to be members of the Basilan-based ASG connected to the ISIS, also conducted casing activities at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CPP) Complex and public parks.
Dela Rosa said they have not finished profiling the suspects but the intelligence networks of the AFP, PNP, and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) confirmed that they are indeed members of the Abu Sayyaf Group based in Basilan.
“They have not admitted it yet, but apparently through our diligent efforts in conducting investigation they have plans (to conduct bombings),” he added.
Dela Rosa said any terror attack by the group would cause damage to the reputation of the Philippine government as the host of the ASEAN Summit.
Asked if there is still a threat in Metro Manila, Dela Rosa said they are not discounting such possibility, the reason why the PNP is always in full alert status.
Dela Rosa, at the same time, has assured the public that the PNP and other law enforcement agencies are working day and night to secure the community.
“That’s the only assurance we can give you, that we are not sleeping on our job,” Dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa also told reporters that they did not immediately presented the suspects to media as follow-up operations were still being conducted against possible cohorts of the suspects.
“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 said.
Dela Rosa said the QCPD under Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, in coordination with the NBI Counter Terrorism Division (NBI-CTD) and other law enforcement agencies, immediately conducted a background investigation on Jikiri.
It was found out that he left Basilan for Metro Manila on Oct 9, 2017 via Zamboanga City.
He was met by Sabtalin and Jhofar, who arrived in Metro Manila much earlier, according to police report.
Eleazar said the QCPD and NBI-CTD tracked down Sabtalin and Jhofar who led the operatives to the Salaam Compound in Barangay Culiat, where the three suspects were arrested through the support and cooperation of the Muslim community leaders.
Seized from Jikiri were a .45-caliber pistol, an 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 ammunition and a cellular phone; while Sadam Jhofar was caught with a caliber .45 M1911 pistol with three live ammunition.
The three were presented for inquest before the Quezon City’s prosecutor for violation of Section 28 (unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition) of RA 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and also in relation to the 15 days gun ban period for ASEAN Summit 2017.
Jikiri was also charged with violation of RA 9516 (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. He also thanked the Muslim community in the Salaam area for their cooperation and full support by not tolerating any illegal activities such as terror attacks,” he added.
NCRPO chief Police Director Oscar Albayalde, meanwhile, did not discount the possibility that the suspects’ 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.