ZAMBOANGA CITY?One of the prosecution?s key witnesses in the Aug. 5 airport bombing here has recanted his statement that implicated former Sulu representative Munir Arbison and two other former Sulu officials.

A copy of the recantation statement that the Inquirer obtained quoted Elarde Sawadjaan as saying that on Sept. 7, he was paid P200,000 to incriminate Arbison.

Sawadjaan said he got the money from Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan after he signed a prepared affidavit linking Arbison and former Sulu town mayors Najib Maldisa and Ahmad Nanoh.

The Inquirer repeatedly tried but failed to reach Tan.

Sawadjaan said he and the other witnesses, including two of his relatives, were brought to Tan?s residence here after the filing of the affidavits on Sept. 1.

He said after taking lunch in the living room of Tan?s house, they were handed their money.

Sawadjaan said a certain Kerkar, whom he described as a follower of Tan, accompanied him and the other witnesses in filing their affidavits that implicated Arbison and the two other former Sulu officials before Western Mindanao state prosecutor Ricardo Cabaron on Sept. 1.

He said he decided to withdraw his statement because of a bothered conscience.

Another suspect in the Zamboanga airport blast, Hadji Nouh Daiman, has submitted an affidavit denying he met with Arbison, Nanoh and Maldisa to plan the assassination of Tan.

Daiman was identified by a relative, who is among the prosecution witness in the airport blast.

The Davao City-based businessman said: ?The statement ? is totally untrue ... I did not meet Hadji Maulana Omar, Jojoh Adam, Musimar Alih, Munir Hadjirul and a certain Adong ? The alleged meeting and conversations never took place,? he said.

The police had said that Omar, Adam, Alih, Hadjirul and Adong served as accomplices in the Tan slay plot.

Meanwhile, military officials here expressed alarm over the worsening conflict between Sulu politicians.

Task Force Zamboanga commander Col. Santiago Baluyot admitted that they were worrying that city residents would later be caught in the crossfire.

Tan, Maldisa, Arbison and Nanoh all maintain houses here. Inquirer Mindanao