RP rebels deny role in weekend bombings

RP rebels deny role in weekend bombings

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (Agencies): A spokesman for Muslim
rebels denied on Tuesday that his group carried out five deadly
synchronized bombings that killed 15, injured 100 and set the
nation on edge.

"If we were responsible, we would have admitted it," said Abu
Cantada, a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group fighting
for a homeland in the southern Philippines. "We wouldn't hide."

The bombings hit a gas station, a train, a bus, the
international airport and a park in Manila, gripping the nation
amid a leadership crisis.

In an interview with Radio Mindanao Network in the southern
city of Zamboanga Tuesday, Cantada said his group is being used
as a "scapegoat" to hide the true bombers.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for bombings
on the southern island of Mindanao.

Police earlier hinted that the Abu Sayyaf group may have been
behind the bombings but later refused to say if they have any
suspects.

No one has made a credible claim of responsibility for the
bombings and police have reported few clues in their
investigation.

Abu Sayyaf is the smaller but more radical of two Muslim
separatist guerrilla groups in the south. The larger group, the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has been blamed for bombings in
Manila in the past. It also denied involvement in Saturday's
attacks.

A lack of clear suspects and government warnings of more
attacks have unleashed a cross fire of accusations targeting the
government, political opposition, the army, right wing factions
and Muslim and communist guerrillas, among others.

The explosions came at a key moment of instability for the
government and plunged the capital into confusion ahead of New
Year's celebrations.

Separately, Philippine military chief Angelo Reyes on Tuesday
described as "very disturbing" allegations by a public anti-crime
group that a military official was behind the lethal bombings in
Manila.

The Manila-based 'Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption',
said earlier this week that an informant in the southern island
of Mindanao was willing to testify that a military official had
planned the bomb attacks.

Reyes said the claims of the so-called informant were "a very
disturbing allegation" and challenged the group to come out with
all the details at once instead of releasing information on a
piecemeal basis.

"They should stop the slow-motion, suspended animation type of
revelations. If they have something to say and have information,
they should reveal them immediately," Reyes said.

He added that the military was following up its own leads on
the bombings but would not give any details.

A high-ranking source within the military said their
information indicated that a joint band of communist insurgents
and MILF guerrillas were behind the blasts but that the bombers
had already fled the city.

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado warned on Tuesday against
excessive speculation on the perpetrators.

"Let's not make a theory, then look for evidence to support
the theory. Let us just wait for results of the investigation and
deduce our conclusions from it," he said.

Opposition groups have linked the blasts to the continuing
corruption trial of President Joseph Estrada in the Senate,
saying that the explosions may have been intended to divert
attention from the hearing.

The government in turn has said the bombings may have been
carried out to put pressure on Estrada to resign, or could be
part of a campaign by communist insurgents or Muslim separatists.

Presidential spokesman Mike Toledo said that they would
welcome any leads in the investigation but added: "let us just
hope all leads ... are really credible or are (from) really
legitimate witnesses."

"There have been a lot of pranksters who instead ... only
confuse things," he said.

The head of Manila police, Director General Edgardo Aglipay
said "I am very willing to personally go to Mindanao to get (the
informant's) statements and compare if we have the same
information."

Aglipay said he would bring other investigators with him and
try to compare the informant's version with the physical evidence
left behind to see if it was accurate.