Alleged JI member escapes from RP jail

Alleged JI member escapes from RP jail

Jim Gomez, Associated Press, Manila

An Indonesian man who allegedly confessed to involvement in
nearly simultaneous bombings in Manila that killed 22 people
escaped on early Monday from jail with two other terror suspects,
police said.

Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, a reputed leader of Southeast Asian
terror group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) and bomb expert, fled before
dawn from the heavily secured intelligence command building at
Camp Crame, the national police headquarters, national Police
Chief Hermogenes Ebdane said.

Ebdane identified the other escapees as Abdul Mukim Edris and
Merang Abante, both suspected religious extremists accused of
past kidnappings of Americans.

"If you have a gun and you see them, you can shoot them,"
Ebdane said as he showed reporters pictures of the escapees.

The escape was a serious blow to Philippines efforts to battle
terrorism and was particularly embarrassing because Australian
Prime Minister John Howard was in Manila to provide
counterterrorism assistance.

Ebdane said three policemen guarding the three were being
investigated, and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered them
sacked immediately, saying they could face charges for gross
negligence and dereliction of duty.

Abante, a senior member of the brutal Abu Sayyaf group, was
captured in January. He carried a 1 million peso (US$18,800)
bounty on his head and was accused of kidnapping American Jeffrey
Schilling in 2000. Schilling later escaped.

Edris, also believed to be an Abu Sayyaf member, was among
those indicted in the United States for alleged involvement in
the kidnapping of tourists from a resort in May 2001. Two of the
three American hostages died.

Raising a general alarm for the fugitives' immediate
recapture, Arroyo urged cross-department cooperation by police,
military, immigration and justice officials and told them to
contact their Indonesian counterparts for assistance.

Ebdane accepted a resignation offer by police chief Supt.
Jesus Verzosa, who heads the national police intelligence group
which had custody of Al-Ghozi.

A Filipino general, assigned in the southern Philippines,
where troops have been battling Muslim extremists, expressed
exasperation and disappointment.

"We've been going through a lot of difficulties just to catch
these people and they let them escape just like that. This is too
much," said the general, who asked that his name not be used.

Police say Al-Ghozi has confessed involvement in the five Dec.
30, 2000, bombings in Manila, and he had been scheduled for
arraignment on Monday. His confessions have been used to file
charges against alleged co-conspirators, including Saifullah
Yunos, who pleaded guilty to helping plan the attacks.

Al-Ghozi has been sentenced to 10-12 years in prison after
pleading guilty on a separate charge of explosives possession. He
led Philippine police to a ton of TNT that officials say was
intended for planned attacks in Singapore on Western targets,
including the U.S. Embassy.

Prosecutors say Al-Ghozi and Yunos, who claims to be a sub-
commander of the Philippine separatist Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, have described how two other men financed the purchase of
about 70 kilograms (155 pounds) of explosives used in the Manila
bombings.

Yunos allegedly prepared the bombs' wiring while Al-Ghozi
reportedly admitted preparing the switch on the alarm-clock
triggers and packing the explosives, the prosecutors said.

Antiterrorism officials across Southeast Asia say Jamaah
Islamiyah aims to establish a Muslim extremist stronghold in the
region and blame the group for last year's Bali bombings that
killed 202 people.

Philippine intelligence officials say the suspected collusion
between Jamaah Islamiyah and the MILF in carrying out the Manila
bombings proves that the Filipino guerrillas have had links with
foreign terrorists. The MILF, which has engaged in on-and-off
peace talks with the Philippine government, denies any links with
terrorist groups.

Antiterrorism accord -- Page 11