2 Suspects in Philippine Bombings Charged

Two suspects in the bloody bombing of a shopping mall in General Santos city in the southern Philippines were charged with murder, frustrated murder and illegal possession of arms and explosives on Tuesday.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) filed the multiple chargesagainst two suspects identified as Bobby Sabilo and Mulikin Adam Ambi, who still remained in the custody of the PNP in General Santos, the ABS-CBN news channel reported.

Sabilo and Ambi are alleged members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the biggest Muslim separatist group in the country, the report said, adding that they were arrested in the outskirts of General Santos about 12 hours after the incident. A third suspect escaped during the police pursuit operation.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has reportedly issued a "no-bail" order for the suspects as part of the stringent measures being imposed in the city to crack down on groups and individuals plotting to instigate violence in the southern Mindanao where General Santos locates.

The Department of Justice has urged witnesses who can give clues as to the persons responsible for the spate of bombings to come out, and assured them of full protection and financial assistance from the government.

A series of deadly bombings on Sunday killed 14 and wounded 60 in a busy shopping mall in General Santos city.

Authorities are eyeing a number of terrorist groups including the Indigenous People's Federal Army which planted dud bombs in Metro Manila and General Santos early this month, and the Abu Sayyaf group which is threatening more bombing attacks since the incident.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2002)