Suspect in Marines’ ambush yields to GMA News team

Exclusive: A man who confessed that he took part in the July 10 encounter with government forces in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan, that killed 14 Marines, surrendered Thursday to a GMA News team. He was promptly turned over to agents of the National Bureau of Investigation. In an exclusive report, GMA News reporter Jiggy Manicad said he and his crew picked up Buhari Jamiri from their rendezvous in Basilan around 6 a.m. Manicad said Jamiri was accompanied by the latter’s wife and relatives who he did not identify. The GMA News team later turned over Jamiri, who is one of the four men being hunted by the military for the killing of the Marines, to agents of the National Bureau of Investigation at the Lamitan port. Later in the morning, NBI agents accompanied Jamiri to the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) in the province for interrogation, according to Manicad. Isafp said its initial investigation confirmed that Jamiri was among the rebels who attacked the Marines who ventured into Tipo-Tipo after a futile search for then kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi. Jamiri also identified two men who beheaded 10 Marines as brothers Umayir and Atim Indama. Jamiri added that Umayir decapitated four Marines while Atim cut the victims’ hands off. Manicad also reported that Jamiri told Isafp agents that the Marines thought that they will not be attacked in Tipo-Tipo because of the ongoing peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The self-confessed suspect said the Marines also had coordinated with police on their operation in Tipo-Tipo but an MILF commander insisted that government forces will be attacked if they entered the rebel stronghold. Jamiri, who is hoping he will be made state witness, also confirmed that the Abu Sayyaf joined the MILF in the ambush. A fragile 2003 cease-fire with the MILF has prevailed in Mindanao while the rebels and the government moved closer to a peace deal in negotiations brokered by Malaysia. The rebels have warned that if they are attacked on Basilan, fighting would spread elsewhere in the south and threaten the peace process. - GMANews.TV