BIFF leader charged over Bukidnon bus bombing

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Criminal charges were filed yesterday against a leader of the separatist Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who was identified as being behind last Tuesday’s bomb attack on a passenger bus in Maramag, Bukidnon that left 10 people dead and several wounded.

Security forces identified the suspect as Garnet Lintang, a commander of the BIFF operating in Central Mindanao.

Lintang was charged after he was positively identified by witnesses, officials said.

“It had the trademark of a bombing carried out by the BIFF in the past. The improvised explosive device used was an 81 mm mortar and the way it was exploded is consistent with the pattern of the BIFF,” a military intelligence official said.

“The explosion points to the group of a certain Dawtin Gendang of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters together with new (bomb and demolition training) graduates as a test mission,” a military source said.

Local officials of Bukidnon, however, declared that extortionists were responsible for the attack.

Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri said this was the consensus of local officials during an emergency meeting with the military and police.

“We are one to believe that it was extortion,” Zubiri said.

He added they had discussed all the angles of the incident. – With Gerry Lee-Gorit