GMA’s P5M reward money for Batasan culprits equates fall guys, says Moro group

COTABATO CITY– President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has publicly announced on television that she will reward P5M to someone who can pinpoint culprits of Batasang Pambansa bombing on Tuesday.

Aside from the P5M bounty from Malacañang, Quezon City representative Mary Ann Susano will also give additional P2M prize money.

The Suara Bangsamoro organization here worries that the bounty would lead to another parade of Moro fall guys despite Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, Jesus Dureza’s pronouncement that the Anti-Terror Law could not used in chasing the perpetrators.

National Secretary-General of Suara Bangsamoro, Bai Ali Indayla pointed the recent self-proclaimed accomplishment of Philippine National Police (PNP), as reported in national televisions, which had killed three (3) suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members in Payatas, Quezon City. They had also arrested another three (3) alleged ASG members which were under interrogation as of press time. Base on material evidences gathered, the PNP link those killed and arrested as the ones behind the Batasan blast.

Indayla fretted, “The PNP is quick to issue a conclusion on the explosion despite absence of comprehensive investigation. The sad fate of Abu Jandal, Redwan Indaman and a certain Saing and those that were arrested is definitely to justify that Basilan Rep. Wahab Akabar is the target of the blast.”

The PNP had declared that despite the newly-found evidence that Rep. Akbar is the target of assassination in the Batasan explosion, they are not closing doors to possibilities that there are other groups or individuals behind the attack.

Indayla further reiterated the case of Ustadz Yahiya Sarahadil Abdulla of Talipao in the province of Sulu, who almost became a victim when his photo appeared in the list of suspected terrorists as an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader. Indayla anticipated that with the big amount of reward money waiting, more Moro civilians would be subject as responsible for the bombing of Batasang Pambansa’s south wing lobby.

“Swamping of bounty-hunters is expected. This reward money is no difference to past bounties and again, innocent Moro civilians will surface as the perpetrators.”

The Suara Bangsamoro strongly appealed to the government to stop tainting innocent Moro civilians and parading them in public as terrorists. They called further for a thorough investigation to catch the real culprits.

“The Moro people have long been tortured. My Muslim brothers and sisters are often the fall guys or sacrificial lambs of this government every episode of bombing incident. Please stop laying blame on us,” Indayla ended. #