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.
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