Batasan blast: Raid in Payatas kills 3 'Abus,' 3 others nabbed

(Updated 8 p.m.) Three suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits were killed while a member of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) police unit was wounded in an encounter in the Payatas area, a few kilometers away from the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City. Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr, head of the SAF, said in a text message that he "confirms the death of three Abu Sayyaf members and the wounding of one SAF personnel in an encounter in Payatas." Lieutenant Col. Ernesto Torres, Army spokesman, said a "raid" was launched by the SAF, the police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Army's Intelligence Service Group on "a suspected Abu Sayyaf safe house." Three suspects were also arrested in the 4 p.m. encounter, said Senior Superintendent Rhodel Sermonia, public information officer of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). The fatalities were identified as Redwan Idaman, his wife Saing and Abu Jandal alias Bong. Those arrested are Khaidar Awnal, Ikram Indama and Adham Kusain. The clash came less than two days after Tuesday's powerful explosion at the Batasan Pambansa, which killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and three others. The TNT-powered explosive was attached to a plate-less motorcycle parked near the Batasan south wing. A motorcycle part recovered from the blast site bore damaged bar code markings, which the police asked Honda Motorcycles to examine. Probers said the bomb was probably remotely detonated through a cell phone. Interviewed on dzBB radio, NCRPO chief Dir. Geary Barias said investigators recovered from the "safe house" a motorcycle plate, a car plate for a "congressman," an identification card for employees of the House of Representatives and at least one cal-.45 handgun. "Yung [impormasyon sa] chassis number, yung sa deed of sale, tumutugma dun yun sa na-recover natin na parte ng motorsiklo na may bar code na sinasabi namin (The information on the chassis number, the deed of sale, they matched the bar coded motorcycle part that we recovered from the blast site)," Barias told dzBB radio. Barias added that the image on the ID card matched the appearance of one arrested suspect. "Ang sigurado tayo lider ng Abu Sayyaf yung isa sa mga namatay, yung subject ng warrant of arrest para sa kidnapping at serious illegal detention (What is sure is that an Abu Sayyaf leader was among the fatalities, the subject of the warrant of arrest for kidnapping and serious illegal detention]," Barias added. Payatas residents interviewed by GMA News said the suspects have been living in the area for about two weeks. Asked if it was related to the Batasan blast, Torres said that, "based on initial assessment, there are indications that they have something to do with the Batasan blast." He did not say, however, what this initial "indication" was. Akbar is reportedly a former Abu Sayyaf member who had a falling out with his erstwhile comrades. The late congressman, however, had vehemently denied such links. GMANews.TV called up a police detachment near Payatas, but authorities said they have yet to confirm the report. The NCRPO had downplayed the terror angle in the Batasan blast, saying Akbar appeared to be the lone target of the perpetrators. Barias met with members of the diplomatic community earlier in the day to assure them that the Batasan incident was not terror-related. However, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier warned that it was still "premature" to conclude that Akbar was the only target. Romulo Asis, chief of the NBI Anti-Terrorism Division, had said the device used in the blast appeared to be of the antivehicle type. He said it could have been a "coincidence" that Akbar – a reported founding member of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group – was there at the Batasan south wing when the incident occurred. - GMANews.TV