(Eagle News) — Police presented on Wednesday (December 6) a third suspect in the foiled bombing attempt near the United States Embassy in Manila.
The suspect was identied as Muhammad Jumao-as, a resident of Sta. Ana, Bulacan, Bulacan and an x-ray technician at a hospital.
Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde, head of the National Capital Region Police Office of the Philippine National Police said Jumao-as was also seen in the CCTV footage in Luneta along with the two other suspects earlier presented by the PNP, Rashid Kilala and Jiaher Guinar.
He said Jumao-as was with Kilala and Guinar when they conducted a surveillance operation of the area in Rizal Park, where they initially intended to leave the improvised explosive device.
“Kasama siya sa surveillance,” Albayalde said while pointing to the CCTV footage taken at the site in Luneta.
“Nandito silang tatlo, Sunday night, while conducting surveillance kung saan nila maaaring iwan yung IED,” he said.
Jumao-as was allegedly a member of the group, Balik-Islam, along with Rashid Kilala and Jiaher Guinar.
He said that they had undergone indoctrination and had a “radical mentality.”
Albayalde said Jumao-as had been a member of Balik-Islam for four years now.
“Yung thinking mo magiging radical kaya ganun,” he said.
Manila Police District chief Senior Supt Joel Coronel said the suspect is part of the cell that is being used by a group, called AKB, operating in Mindanao.
He said that they initially thought that Jumao-as had already fled to Mindanao to join the Maute group that was fighting government forces, but later monitored that he was still hiding in Bulacan.
While the suspect, Jumao-as, was being presented to the media, he kept his head down as he tried to hide his face from the camera.
Police seized from the suspect a 45-caliber firearm and a hand grenade when he was arrested on December 3.
He initially hid and lay low after the foiled bomb attempt. He only surfaced two days after police presented the two initial suspects arrested in Bulacan and Manila. He was about to get his things from the hospital when the police nabbed him, Albayalde said.
The NCRPO chief said there were five suspects in the foiled bombing attempt in Manila. They are still trying to look for the two other suspects.