BIFF tagged in Bukidnon bus bombing

From the Daily Tribune (Dec11): BIFF tagged in Bukidnon bus bombing

Terrorists, linked to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), were tagged as culprits in Tuesday bombing of a passenger bus in Bukidnon that killed 10 people and wounded 31 others.

An intelligence source, who asked not to be identified, tagged the “students” of Basit Usman led by a certain Dawtin Gendang as responsible for the bombing of a Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI) in Maramag town at around 5:45 p.m.

The source noted the signature of the improvised explosive device (IED) used in the bus bombing is similar to those traced to Usman, a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) trained bomb expert tagged in string of explosions in various parts of Mindanao.

“Findings state that the bomb/IED is made of 81mm mortar round, cellular phone activated which points to the group of certain Dawtin Gendang of BIFF together with newly graduates of BIFF as their test mission,” said the official.

“Same bomb signature with the IED explosion which happened in the same province,” he said, apparently referring to a Nov. 6 bombing of another RTMI bus also in Maramag that wounded four people.

Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, also tagged the BIFF as a possible suspect in the latest bombing.

“Possible suspect is the BIFF. The signature of the bomb is identified with the group,” Baladad said.

The bus, with body number 2640, was traveling on its way to Cagayan de Oro from Wao, Lanao del Sur, when the explosion occurred, just a few meters away from the gate of the Central Mindanao State University.

Capt. Christian Uy, spokesman of the Army’s 4thInfantry Division, said that based on the initial investigation, the homemade bomb was placed in the bus’ overhead cabin, and it was the reason most of the victims suffered head wounds.

While the military believed that the bombing was carried out by the BIFF, it was not also discounting the possibility that it could have been made out of the extortion activities by other groups on the management of the bus company.

Baladad said RTMI is the same transportation company which experienced extort tries from criminal groups in the past, including the Al Khobar group.

He said the government is currently creating an inter-agency unit, whose task is to prevent further bombings in Mindanao.

For his part, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin condemned the attack as a barbaric act as he vowed the military and police will get to the bottom of it.

“The DND through the AFP is in full support and cooperation with the PNP to get to the bottom of this barbaric act,” said Gazmin.

“We also ask the help and cooperation of our fellow Filipinos in providing related information which may lead to the identification and arrest of the perpetrators that we may bring them to justice,” he added.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/biff-tagged-in-bukidnon-bus-bombing