The main suspect in the Sept. 2 bombing attack in Davao City has been identified but cannot as yet be arrested because he is being coddled by a private armed group in Mindanao, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
“Mahirap sa ngayon dahil (As of now it would be hard because) we don’t want to have another Mamasapano incident,” Dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa was referring to the massacre of 44 commandos of the elite PNP-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who died while serving an arrest warrant on wanted Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in Barangay Pidsandawan in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 25, 2015.
In that incident, the SAF engaged in a half-day-long battle with fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who were sheltering Marwan, and private armed groups. Aside from 44 SAF commandos, 17 MILF fighters and at least three civilians were also killed there.
Dela Rosa added that the PNP cannot just enter the area where the main suspect is hiding because it is under the control of the BIFF and private armed groups and lies in a cross border area held by the MILF.
“Tong mga area na ito ay kontrolado ng BIFF, kontrolado ng private armed group at saka nagko-cross border din sa area ng MILF kaya di tayo basta basta makakapasok doon,” Dela Rosa said.
Vice Mayor Abduwahab Sabal of Talitay, Maguindanao is also being linked to the bombing incident after he was arrested for possession of an improvised explosive device similar to the one used in the bombing at the Roxas night market that claimed the lives of 14 individuals and injured 70 others.
Sabal had earlier been named by President Rodrigo Duterte as one of the local government officials involved in the illegal drugs trade.
The vice mayor was arrested in connection with illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms but he denied involvement in the Davao bombing.
Dela Rosa earlier said that narco-politicians in Mindanao may have connived with the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group to undertake the bomb attack.
As of Monday, Dela Rosa said, there was still no evidence that would link the vice mayor to the bombing incident in Davao City.
"Hindi muna ako magsalita hanggang hindi pa namin ma-connect. We have to connect all the dots to have an airtight case against the suspects. So hindi ko masabi na sila yung narco-politicians na tinutukoy natin who funded the bombing," Dela Rosa said.
Watch this News5 video report by France Noguera:
[Video report]
http://interaksyon.com/article/132356/watch--davao-blast-suspect-being-coddled-by-armed-group-pnp-chief-dela-rosa
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.