Palace executive says he did not clear Salapuddin

A senior Malacañang executive belied Monday reports that he "cleared" a rival of slain Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar from last week's blast at the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he merely described former Rep. Gerry Salapuddin as "honorable" and that he does not know him to be capable of being behind the blast. "I don't want to be misinterpreted. The question asked of me was about how I knew Salapuddin. It should not in any way [interfere with] the official investigation being done by the police," Ermita said on dzRH radio. Some newspapers on Monday said Ermita had cleared Salapuddin of involvement in the blast because he had said that "I don't think he (Salapudin) would do that." Ermita was also quoted as saying that he "could not imagine" that Salapuddin "would do such a thing." Salapuddin is a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander. The police had linked a former driver of Salapuddin, Ikram Indama, to the blast. Indama was one of three suspected Abu Sayyaf members arrested in a raid in Payatas, Quezon City last Thursday. Also on Monday, Director Gen. Avelino Razon Jr said Monday police investigators are interviewing witnesses and gathering leads on the people in the new batch, whom he declined to identify. "We're still keeping tabs on some people we want to question and talk to. Our investigation does not end with the three suspected Abu Sayyaf members," he said in Filipino on dzBB radio. He said they are still "developing" the case, and doing the same for their information on the suspected mastermind. He did not elaborate. "Our work is not yet finished. Our investigation is still ongoing. We have some names and we are continuing with our investigation," Razon said in a separate interview on dzRH radio. He also admitted that the charges to be filed against three suspected Abu Sayyaf members was more of complying with a requirement to beat the 36-hour reglementary period. - GMANews.TV