August 4, 2000, The Philippine Star, Jakarta-based group sends e-mail owning attack on Caday, by Aurea Calica and Paolo Romero,

August 4, 2000, The Philippine Star, Jakarta-based group sends e-mail owning attack on Caday, by Aurea Calica and Paolo Romero, 

A virtually unknown Indonesian group claiming links to separatist Muslim rebels in the Philippines has owned up to last Tuesday's bomb attack on Ambassador to Jakarta Leonides Caday.

Philippine officials are also looking at the possibility of involvement of members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which has blamed Caday for its failure to secure full membership in the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

Meanwhile, American explosives experts were due in Jakarta yesterday to help local police in the investigation.

Indonesian police and Philippine government officials downplayed the group's admission, saying it could be a ploy to draw away attention from the perpetrators.

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado also expressed suspicions over the existence of the group, but said intelligence work is being done to verify it.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian government welcomed Manila's proposal for a joint investigation of the bomb attack, as well as an offer by American forensic experts to help in the probe.

Calling itself the Mujahiddin Division Khandag, the group sent out electronic mail (e-mail) saying they bombed Caday's official residence in downtown Jakarta in unity with their Muslim brothers in Mindanao, apparently referring to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which has been waging a secessionist struggle in the South.

In dismissing the claim by Mujahiddin Division Khandag, Philippine and Indonesian authorities said anybody can simply send e-mail to anyone.

Indonesian officials also said there was no additional information about the self-confessed perpetrators, saying it came out only after the bombing.

Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Franklin Ebdalin said nothing definitive has come out yet of the probe by the Indonesian police.

Ebdalin said Indonesian Ambassador Soeratmin is still trying to make arrangements for the deployment of a team of Filipino investigators to Jakarta.

"We do not want to give the impression that we are not trusting the Indonesian government's capability to handle the case," Ebdalin said.

Caday, who is still in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Jakarta, denied having said he knew the attackers.

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said that foreign affairs officials who had spoken with Caday on long distance telephone told her the ambassador thought he knew his attackers, and that the motive was personal.

But the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in a statement, clarified that Caday has denied having knowledge of the perpetrators.

The statement also said sources at the DFA "apparently misinformed and misled the Vice President."

Caday, who suffered head and leg injuries, underwent surgery on both his legs, but doctors said he could be moved out of the intensive care unit in a few days.

Embassy officials said there was still no decision on whether Caday would continue recuperating in Jakarta or return at once to Manila.

Probers leaving no stone unturned

Malacañang indicated that investigators are looking at all the possible angles of the bomb attack on Caday in a bid to get the perpetrators.

Press Undersecretary Mike Toledo said the probers will go over a list of Filipinos who visited Jakarta over the last two weeks.

"It was indicated there was an unusual number of Filipinos who entered Jakarta in the last couple of weeks, but as to whether or not this would indicate anything, again, this is speculation. What is important is that a list has been furnished us and we are looking into it," Toledo said.

The Philippine Embassy in Jakarta said over 200 names were in the list, among them MNLF chairman and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Nur Misuari.

Asked if Misuari would be included in the probe, Toledo replied; "Whoever entered (Jakarta). I don't think there is an exception."

"If anybody's linked to a terrorist group, then that sends a red flag. Maybe, there's a need to further investigate why he was there (Jakarta) in the first place. I think that's a very prudent and logical way of doing it," Toledo stressed.

He added, however, that for the moment, Misuari's visit to Indonesia "doesn't mean anything to us now," adding that all leads, including the involvement of Indonesian rebels or Caday's personal enemies, if any, were being pursued.

Toledo said the US government has offered to President Estrada the services of veteran investigators, most probably from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to help in the probe.

"Indonesia has accepted said offer and hopefully their (FBI agents) participation and involvement would mean a more expeditious investigation of this incident and hopefully, we will get to the bottom of this and find out who is responsible," Toledo said.

Malacañang officials and certain legislators have castigated Misuari for allegedly badmouthing the government before the OIC, blaming the prevalence of mass poverty in Mindanao to government neglect.

Jakarta police chief Inspector General Nurfaizi was quoted by a local newspaper as saying the Interpol would cooperate in investigating the bombing.

Nurfaizi also said they are thinking of sending personnel to Manila to investigate possible links between the bomb attack on Caday and another bomb blast that took place in the Philippines on the same day.

In a statement, the US Embassy in Jakarta condemned the bombing as a "senseless incident."

In another development, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre ordered the strengthening of security measures in all foreign embassies in Manila.

Aguirre also expressed fears that the Indonesian Embassy in Makati City could also be attacked by terrorists.

For his part, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson ordered all police unit commanders to be on alert for Indonesian separatists currently in Manila to assist local terrorists.

A PNP statement said intelligence reports indicated that local terrorist groups were getting support from their Indonesian counterparts.

Meanwhile, the military is checking reports that the Mujahiddin Division Khandag is a splinter group of the MILF led by MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar.

The reports claimed that Jaafar broke off with MILF chieftain Hashim Salamat after the separatist rebel group failed to attain observer status at the OIC during the organization's meeting last month in Kuala Lumpur.--With reports from Mike Frialde, Liberty Dones, wire services