"Afuang says MILF to bomb Metro Manila malls in
April"
(By Gina Peralta-Elorde, Wednesday, 03/12/2003)
Former Pagsanjan, Laguna Mayor Abner Afuang
yesterday claimed he
received an intelligence report that a 12-man
team of bomb experts of the
separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
has been deployed in the
metropolis to sow terror through a series of
bombings in a number of big
shopping malls.
In an interview at the Club Filipino in
Greenhills, San Juan yesterday
morning, Afuang told the Tribune a bomb expert
of the MILF, who is
supposed to be included in the team, personally
contacted him to reveal
the rebels' planned terrorist activities
starting April 8 until April 25.
The former mayor, who was also a high-profile
police official, said the
MILF rebel who talked to him was feeling
remorseful and said he sought
Afuang's help to foil the MILF's planned spate
of bombings next month
because his conscience was bothering him.
On top of the MILF's alleged list of shopping
malls where they would
conduct bombings, are the Robinson's Galleria in
Ortigas Avenue, SM
Megamall in Mandaluyong City and SM North Edsa
in Quezon City.
The MILF rebel confirmed they have no plans to
include in their bombing
activities the Star Mall located along Edsa in
Mandaluyong City and
Greenhills Shopping Malls in San Juan since
there are Moslem traders
inside the establishments.
According to Afuang, the bomb expert also told
him they plan to put bombs
at the basement, first, second and third floors
of the Robinson's
Galleria and that they would push through with
the plan either on a
Saturday or Sunday when more people flock to the
malls with their families.
He added the MILF rebel also disclosed the C-4
explosives they would use
will be placed inside an aluminum delivery van
loaded with disposable
diapers and biscuits.
The former mayor, moreover, said the MILF rebel
admitted to him that he
and the 11 other bomb experts underwent
trainings in East Timor sometime
last year.
The guerrilla also admitted their main objective
in conducting bombings
in Metro Manila is to declare a total war
against Christians.
"Dito na sila magsasagawa ng bomba para talagang
away na sa pagitan ng
Kristiyano at Moslems at hindi lang puro sa
Mindanao nakasentro ang
awayan (My translation: There they would do the bombings to be sure that the fight between Christians and Moslems will no longer be just centered in Mindanao)," the MILF rebel allegedly told Afuang.
The former mayor assailed the intelligence units
of both the police and
the military, which, he said, are not doing
their jobs well.
***Please include the Phils. in your prayers... may this plan if it is true be stopped and may their minds be enlightened. May all their plans to cause chaos and trouble don't push through... Thanks!
