18 suspects in deadly Lamitan blast charged —Albayalde

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed criminal charges against the suspects in the July 31 bombing in Lamitan City, Basilan, PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Monday.

The suspects — 18 in total, but only eight have been arrested so far — are facing murder and multiple frustrated murder charges before Isabela City Regional Trial Court Branch 2, Albayalde said.

The PNP chief identified those in police custody as the following:

• Musa Jallaha,
• Nsir Nuruddin
• Al Basir Ahmad
• Julamin Arundoh
• Saad Tedie
• Ammar Indama
• Hadji Hurang
• Abdurahim Lijal

Albayalde said Arundoh is "a bomb expert who assembled the improvised explosive device (IED)" while Tedie and Indama "took part in the planning and preparing the IED." Jallaha is described as the "middleman in the purchase of the van."

The explosion killed 10 people, including government militiamen and the driver of the vehicle carrying theh IED.

Investigators said the driver of the vehicle detonated the IED when government militiamen manning a checkpoint found out about the contraband. —KBK, GMA News