By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA
In the name of their religion, two suspects in the Valentine’s Day bus bombing in Makati City retracted their plea of not guilty by pleading guilty to the multiple murder charges filed against them at the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Accused Angelo Trinidad (Abu Khalil) and Gamal Baharan (Tapay) made the retraction when they, together with Gappah Sali Bannah (Boy Negro), were re-arraigned yesterday by Judge Marissa Guillen of the Makati RTC Branch 60.
Trinidad and Baharan admitted their role in the bombing of the RRCG bus, saying they did it in the name of Islam.
"We are ready to die for what we did. If the government wants us to die, we will die for the cause of Islam and the happiness of the Muslim Umah," Trinidad said.
Four people died and more than a hundred were injured in the bombing that occurred below the EDSA-Ayala Metro Rail Transit (MRT) station on February 14.
Baharan said that prior to the first arraignment on March 14, when the multiple murder charges were heard by Judge Selma Alaras of the Makati RTC Branch 62, he and Trinidad had long wanted to plead guilty of the charges.
"But Attorney Rainald Paggao, who was our former counsel from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), advised us not to," Baharan said.
"What I’ve done is right since it is for the good of Islam and I’m prepared to die for our cause," Trinidad said.
At the pre-trial, the court also arraigned Rohmat Abdul Rahim, also known as "Zaki," "Jackie," "Hamdan," and "Akil," an Indonesian who is allegedly a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the trainor of the suspects on bomb-making.
Rohmat said he knows the two suspects and denied involvement in the attack.
Bannah admitted that they have known each other for sometime, even before the bombing. He said he knew Rohmat more since he is the one who trained him in bomb and demolition tactics.
The three suspects were represented yesterday by PAO lawyer Allene Torres Peña. Rohmat, who had no lawyer, said the Indonesian Embassy will help him find a lawyer which he will present on the next pre-trial hearing on April 18.
Rohmat denied teaching Bannah how make bombs.
"What I’ve trained them is in map reading and weapons training in Camp Jabal Kubah in Mount Cararaw, in Lanao del Norte," Rohmat said.
He said it was Khadaffy Janjalani, the chief of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), also one of the suspects in the bombing, as the one who trained them in bomb-making.
He revealed that Negro probably pointed to him as their trainer because he is a member of the JI which is known for its expertise in bombs.
Rohmat was apprehended in an Army checkpoint in the town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao last March 16.
