Senior House member calls on AFP, PNP to conduct joint intel workshop to identify Marwan’s student

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 10): Senior House member calls on AFP, PNP to conduct joint intel workshop to identify Marwan’s student

A senior member of the House of Representatives on Tuesday called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct a joint intelligence workshop to determine the number and identities of Moro extremists who were trained by Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, in the art of bomb-making.

Gatchalian said it is important that the PNP and AFP get their acts together in going after local terrorists trained by Marwan. A prerequisite to this is good intelligence build-up and close coordination between the intelligence units of the two government agencies.

“A joint intelligence workshop attended by intelligence officials of both the police and the military is crucial in establishing the identities and background information of the Marwan-trained bombers so that AFP and PNP operatives can effectively work to neutralize them,” said Gatchalian who is eager to neutralized Marwan’s students before they can make another terror attacks elsewhere.

Military authorities in Mindanao had revealed that Marwan was able to train bombers and instructors in his years of hiding in different locations in Mindanao. The military, however, could not give an estimate on the number of people trained by Marwan explaining that the group was careful in its security protocols.

The Malaysian bomb expert was said to have trained in small groups of about five people.

“It is really alarming to learn that Marwan was able to train Moro extremists in the art of bomb-making. Unfortunately, some of those trained by Marwan have become capable of teaching bomb making. These instructors are now well-versed in improvised explosives devices which they teach to other extremists in Mindanao,” Gatchalian pointed out.

Gatchalian said equally alarming was the revelation of relieved Special Action Force (SAF) Police Director Getulio Napeñas during the Senate hearing that Marwan had planned to bomb the convoy of Pope Francis during the pontiff's visit to the Philippines last month.

In his speech during the Senate hearing on the January 25 Mamasapano clash, Napenas said the SAF received “unconfirmed” information that the Jemaah Islamiyah, in coordination with Marwan, was planning to device a bomb that will be detonated as the papal convoy drove from T.M Kalaw Street in Manila on Jan 18, 2015. Pope Francis held a Mass at Quirino Grandstand on January 18, an event attended by an estimated six million Catholic devotees.

Napeñas also said that a couple of days ago, there were reports that not less than 30 of Marwan’s students were roaming around Central Mindanao, “ready and willing and able to create widespread fear and terror, panic to our countrymen though the use of improvised explosive device.”

“While we commend that gallantry of the 44 SAF commandos who gave their lives to neutralize Marwan, the fact remains that he was able to train many bombers who may avenge their mentor’s death by conducting a bombing campaign not only in Mindanao but also in Metro Manila,” warned Gatchalian.

The veteran solon said this scenario is not far-fetched since Jemaah Islamiyah was also behind the Rizal Day bombings on Dec. 30, 2000 that resulted to several deaths in the five bombing incidents that included the Light Railway Transit (LRT). The bombings were said to be in retaliation to then President Joseph Estrada’s all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

PNP reports said Marwan has been involved in multiple bombing incidents including the deadly Bali, Indonesia bombing in 2002 that killed 202 civilians. In the Philippines, Marwan was tagged in the death of 44 civilians due to bombing.

Another international terrorist, Basit Usman was a key commander in the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which is a breakaway group from the MILF. He was also a bomb-making expert, and trains his members in assembling and planting bombs. He faces a number of arrest warrants in connection to bombing incidents that killed at least 17 people.

Marwan and Usman are listed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as among the most wanted international terrorists in the US. Marwan carries a USD5 million bounty while Usman has a USD2 million reward for his capture, dead or alive. Marwan was the target of the January 25 SAF operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Though government authorities claim Marwan was neutralized in the SAF operation, 44 elite policemen were also killed when the police team engaged in a firefight with MILF and BIFF who were holding camp in the area.

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