Jamiri revealed plot to kill Akbar in Sulo Hotel - PNP

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said the improvised explosive recovered on Tuesday night was intended to kill Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar in Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, and not to be used in an alternate plan to trigger an explosion in the lawmaker’s home in Pasig City as earlier disclosed by investigators. In a press conference, Dir. Geary Barias, chief of PNP’s National Capital Region Police Office, said the group behind the Batasan blast initially targeted Akbar last October 23 at the Sulo Hotel which he frequented. Akbar, however, did not show up at the hotel at that particular date. Barias said this information was revealed by former Tuburan, Basilan Mayor Hajaron Jamiri, who was taken into police custody Monday afternoon following a raid in Ermita district in Manila. "He (Jamiri) mentioned that there is another bomb to be used on Akbar at Sulo Hotel on October 23. But Akbar did not show up so the assassination plot did not materialize… He said they have to hide the bomb because it was not used anyway," Barias said. Barias said investigators are studying the additional possible charges against Jamiri following his revelations, adding investigators are still conducting investigation to determine the mastermind of the assassination plot against Akbar. The improvised explosive device was recovered from a rented apartment of Jamiri along Leveriza St. in Manila City past 9 p.m. Tuesday. The explosive found submerged in water and covered with a steel casing. Jamiri was arrested in a joint police-military raid staged Monday afternoon at a pension house in Ermita district, Manila which was identified by the three detained suspects as the place where a second “motorcycle bomb" was being assembled. Jamiri was initially taken in for illegal possession of firearm, but was later questioned for his possible links to the Batasan blast. Supt. Joaquin Alva, chief of the Manila Police District’s Criminal Investigation Unit, said the bomb was allegedly prepared by Redwan Indama and Abu Jandal, and was later delivered to Jamiri for “execution". Indama and Jandal were among the three who died during a raid by police and Army operatives last November 15 in Payatas, Quezon City. It was during the same operation that three other suspects – Khaidar Awnal, Ikram Indama, and Adham Kusain – were arrested. In the press conference, Barias said Jamiri was offered P500,000. It was, however, unclear if the amount was payment for carrying out an assassination attempt against Akbar in Sulo Hotel, or for merely hiding the explosive. "There is allegedly a P500,000 reward for him by Redwan. But we can't confirm it now because Redwan is already (dead)," Barias said. Aside from the improvised explosive devices recovered from the inn Tuesday evening, Barias presented the motorcycle recovered from Don Pepe's Inn last Monday. He noted that it was supposed to be the motorcycle to be used in the Sulo Hotel operation. Barias said the motorcycle was owned by Jamiri. Chief Inspector Ramon Pranada, MPD Explosive and Ordnance Division head, said the bomb recovered from Jamiri’s rented apartment was designed as anti-personnel, noting it was rigged with nails as shrapnel. "We expect it to have the same damage in Batasan," Pranada said. - GMANews.TV