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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines arrests 4 hard boyz |
| 2004-06-29 |
| Philippine security forces arrested several suspected Muslim militants who were planning bomb attacks to disrupt the inauguration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, police and military officials said on Tuesday. The arrests come as security forces boost their presence in the capital to guard against threats to Wednesday’s ceremonies and to control protest marches planned later on Tuesday by opposition groups who say Arroyo cheated in May 10 elections. "We got them with the PNP," a military intelligence official who took part in the operation told reporters, referring to the Philippine National Police. Four men were presented to media in the afternoon. The police initially said they had information the suspects were members of the Jemaah Islamiah militant network, but later said they were still investigating the link. "We still have to evaluate," said PNP spokesman Joel Goltiao. Police said in a statement the men were in a group of about 30 suspected militants who had arrived in Manila two days ago from southern Mindanao island with the aim of setting off bombs on Wednesday to disrupt Arroyo’s inauguration. The arrests came a day after the United States gave the Philippines an extra $4 million to boost intelligence-gathering against al-Qaeda-linked militant groups. Security forces in Manila are on alert after a group suspected of links to the political opposition planted three explosive devices last week, adding to security headaches surrounding Arroyo’s inauguration. Police used batons, teargas and water cannon on Tuesday to disperse several thousand opposition supporters protesting Arroyo’s victory over film star Fernando Poe Jr. The military official said the suspects were arrested in Taguig in east Manila, but gave no further details. Troops also recovered five kg (11 lb) of explosives, four petrol bombs, and a notebook containing bomb-making diagrams, he said. On Sunday, U.S. Pacific Command head Admiral Thomas Fargo said the United States remained concerned by the presence in the Philippines of Jemaah Islamiah members. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |