MANILA: Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revealed that the alleged group behind the bombing attempt at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 were protesting supposedly abusive Chinese-owned businesses in the country.
In a press conference yesterday, De Lima said that the three of the four captured suspects claim to be part of the United States Air Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).
One of the suspects, identified as Grandeur Pepito Guerrero, is a “self-proclaimed” military general defending Filipinos from Chinese “oligarch titans” engaged monopolies and illegal mining, De Lima said, citing initial investigation findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The two other suspects were identified as Emmanuel San Pedro and Sonny Yohanon. Guerrero, meanwhile, also admitted to being a member of a group called “Guardians.”
The suspects also said they were against the Philippines’ approach to the territorial disputes with China over areas of the South China Sea, De Lima said.
The three men were apprehended by NBI agents on Monday morning after they were caught parking a white Toyota vehicle loaded with explosives and gasoline at the terminal’s parking lot.
Guerrero’s group attempted to use improvised incendiary device, with potential impact of up to 10 metres radius and could injure and cause the loss of lives, the NBI’s probe results show.
Seized from the suspects was a copy of a manifesto entitled “Kilusan Laban sa Pananakop.”
De Lima said the document was supposed to be sent by the alleged bomber to a list of email addresses once the ploy succeeded.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
