Wounded Usman suffering from stroke, just staying in

From InterAksyon (Feb 13): Wounded Usman suffering from stroke, just staying in
Maguindanao, says gov



File photo of Basit Usman from U.S. State Department

Filipino bomb-making expert Basit Usman, the sidekick of international terror suspect Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan, is wounded and just staying in Maguindanao under the care of his aides.

This is the report received by Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu from unidentified sources, which was confirmed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. [WATCH VIDEO BELOW]

Mangudadatu on Friday said that according to his sources, Usman was seen with a gunshot in the shoulder days after the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF)’s January 25 Mamasapano mission that targeted him and Marwan.

The governor also said that he was told that Usman, who reportedly has links to terrorist groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, could not move the right side of his body due to mild stroke.

Mangudadatu said he also got reports that Usman's companions were seriously hurt during the Mamasapano encounter, which resulted in the death of 44 PNP-SAF troopers and 18 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

"Unang-una, ilang araw after the encounter in that place, do’n sa may Mamasapano. Sinabi nila mismo sa akin na si Basit Usman ay may tama sa balikat at ‘yong…right side ng kanyang katawan hindi masyado nakakagalaw dahil nagkaroon ng mild stroke at meron pang mga kasamang malubhang tinamaan din sa encounter,"  Mangudadatu told ANC Dateline Philippines in an interview.

Mangudadatu said he could not understand why nobody was reporting to authorities Usman’s whereabouts when the latter had been staying in Mamasapano for a long time.

According to the governor, it was impossible for the local government not to know that Usman was just in Mamasapano especially when his concrete house was just along the road.

“Ang existence noong tao bakit sobrang tagal? Wala man lamang nakapag-tip at may bahay pa d’yan…Along the road lang kasi ‘yong bahay nina Marwan at Basit eh, konkretong konkreto,” Mangudadatu said in a separate media interview on Friday.

[Video report: Usman]