Police to file raps vs suspect on Bukidnon bus bombing

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Nov 11): Police to file raps vs suspect on Bukidnon bus bombing

AUTHORITIES are already preparing to file charges as they have identified Tuesday the suspect in the November 6 bombing of a Rural Transit Mindanao Incorporated (RTMI) passenger bus in Barangay Dologon, Maramag town, Bukidnon.

According to Inspector Jose Regner Sevilleno, Maramag police deputy chief, they are expected to file the complaint anytime at the Bukidnon provincial prosecutor’s office today, November 12.

Sevilleno said he could not yet divulge the identity of the suspect or the organization he is affiliated with until the complaint is filed.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad, commanding general of the Philippine Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command, has pointed a finger at the Islamist extremist organization Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters as the one responsible for carrying out the attack.

Sevilleno said they were able to form a computer-generated composite of the suspect based on the description given by the witnesses, and with the help of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Central Mindanao.

A rogue’s gallery provided by the CIDG-Central Mindanao also helped the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 204 in identifying the suspect who emailed to investigators a rogue’s gallery.

“All of the pictures in the rogue’s gallery were emailed by the CIDG-Central Mindanao and compared to the artist’s sketch, our witnesses identified that one of those pictures on the rogue’s gallery was the suspect,” Sevilleno told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Sevilleno said the suspect will face multiple frustrated murder and damage to property charges.

At present, the SITG has gathered four notarized affidavits from witnesses, including those who were hurt by the blast.

According to witnesses, the perpetrator was one of the passengers who boarded the bus at Cotabato and alighted at Maramag.

He said the suspect is part of the group responsible for the series of bombing incidents in other areas in Mindanao.

Sevilleno said the all the resources of the Bukidnon police and the local intelligence community were poured to track down the perpetrator.

He said at present the lone suspect will face the charges, but later the group’s top leaders will follow suit since he only obeyed orders from his higher-ups.

“If we can establish if there was conspiracy in that action, then we will include the group’s leaders,” he added.

Sevilleno said the bombing may be considered as an act of terrorism but it’s hard to prove in court.

Investigators concluded that the improvised explosive device (IED), made of a 60 mm mortar shell, was cellphone-activated, based on the fragments found at the site.

The passenger bus was bound for Cagayan de Oro when it exploded and injured four passengers.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/11/11/police-file-raps-vs-suspect-bukidnon-bus-bombing-376034