Masterminds in Batasan blast already known - police

The police on Thursday claimed that they have already the names of the masterminds behind the Batasan Pambansa Complex blast, GMA News’s 24 Oras reported Thursday night. “Our men are zeroing in on our identified masterminds," Director General Avelino Razon, Philippine National Police chief, told GMA News. Razon, however, declined to name the brains behind the explosion that killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and three other people. The 24 Oras report said the police are treating several people suspects, including former Basilan lawmaker Gerry Salapuddin and Anak Mindanao Rep. Mujiv Hataman who both had already denied to police that they have links to the Batasan blast. “If we gather evidence linking him or indicate his complicity to the blast, then we will proceed in arresting him," Razon said. The four suspects in the blast - Khaidar Awnal, Ikram Indama, Adham Kusain and former Tuburan, Basilan mayor Hajaron Jamiri - are in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group undergoing further investigation. So far, police said the suspects provided ample leads to the identity of the brains behind the blast. The family of Akbar has ruled out avenging his death, saying this was the wish of the late lawmaker. Family members said they are satisfied with the investigation of the police into the assassination of Akbar. Driver links Salapuddin, Hataman to blast As this developed, the mayor of a Basilan town disclosed Thursday that one of the suspects in the November 13 blast has named Salapuddin and Hataman as the masterminds in the assassination plot on Akbar. Mayor Joel Maturan of Ungkaya Pukan municipality said Indama, 35, a former driver of Salapuddin who was arrested by police last November 15 in a raid in Payatas, Quezon City, has confessed to the police. "Nag-unite sila (na) patayin si Wahab Akbar dahil wala silang magawa pag buhay (si Akbar) - walang magawa sa pulitika at hindi sila makapalit (They united to kill Wahab Akbar because they could not do anything while Akbar is alive – they could not do anything in politics, they are powerless)," Maturan told reporters outside the CIDG-NCR office after meeting with Indama. Maturan said Indama is his close friend and a cousin of his wife. Police declined to comment on Maturan's claim. Authorities have repeatedly said that they have no direct evidence yet against Salapuddin and Hataman. The police are gathering leads based on circumstantial evidence, such as the relationship of Indama with Salapuddin and the admission of Indama that a staff and cousin of Hataman, identified as Benjamin "Jang" Hataman, was aware of the plot. - GMANews.TV