BUSAN, South Korea (Eagle News Service) — President Aquino said the suspect in Tuesday’s deadly bus bombing in Bukidnon has a link with a secessionist group who wants to derail the peace efforts of the government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
During a coffee meeting with the Philippine media here in Busan, before returning to the country, the President said the suspect was already arrested in the past but managed to escape from jail in 2006.
Aquino did not give operational details but said the government will train its guns on the secessionist group following the military’s offensive campaign against the Abu Sayyaf.
“They will no longer have safe havens. And I expect a number of results soon,” the President said.
Authorities in Manila identified the suspect as Macmod Maniboil, an alleged member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF).
Maniboil escaped from the North Cotabato provincial jail in February 2007 and has been tagged in several bombing attacks in Central Mindanao since.
Aquino said he had spoken with the heads of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), as well as with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II for possible target hardening in Bukidnon.
“We are coming up with procedures to harden the targets, especially the bus terminals, to minimize threats from passengers who embark in between terminals,” he said.
One of the possible measures he mentioned was to issue stubs for the baggage of passengers.
Nineteen people were reportedly killed in the bus bombing, five of whom were students at the Central Mindanao University. (Weng dela Fuente, Eagle News Service)