CIDG-12 files additional charges vs Tambako, 4 others

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 18): CIDG-12 files additional charges vs Tambako, 4 others

Police authorities here have filed additional illegal possession of explosives charges against arrested Justice for Islam Movement (JIM) founder Ustadz Mohammad Ali Tambako and four of his men.

Senior Supt. Manuel Cornel, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 12 director, said Wednesday they filed the charges in connection with the raid at the group’s alleged safehouse here on Monday that resulted to the recovery of various suspected bomb-making components.

CIDG-12 operatives staged the raid at a house in Lot 20, Block 14, Phase 2-A of Doña Soledad Subdivision in Barangay Labangal that was previously rented by Tambako.

The team found at the house several detonating cords, improvised circuit boxes, blasting caps, blasting powder, switches and batteries.

Another raid was launched at a house in the same village that was supposedly rented earlier by Tambako but it yielded negative.

“We returned their arrest warrants to the court and filed another case because of the evidences recovered at their safehouse,” Cornel said.

He was referring to the arrest warrant earlier issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 15 in Cotabato City against Tambako for murder and multiple frustrated murder.

Tambako, who is the former vice chair of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and his four companions were nabbed aboard a tricycle along the national highway in Barangay Calumpang at past 9 p.m. Sunday.

The four other suspects were identified as Mesharie Gayak, Datukan Sabiwang, Ali Ludisma and Abusama Guiamel.

Tambako and his companions, who yielded three handguns and three hand grenades, were immediately flown to Manila before noon on Monday and later charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Insp. Celso Murillo, acting head of the city police’s explosives ordnance disposal team, said the recovered bomb-making materials were enough to make two to three powerful explosives.

He said the only lacking component from the seized materials is the main charge of an explosive.

“But they only need to piece them together to come up with the bombs,” he said.

Supt. Michael Odejerte, spokesperson of the city police office, said the recovered bomb-making materials showed that Tambako’s group had planned to launch terror attacks in the city.

“It’s important for everyone to be alert and vigilant so we can avert these plots,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=745573