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MANILA, Philippines—Lawyer Ely Pamatong, once declared a nuisance presidential candidate, seems to be back from oblivion. But if he’s working alone, or with some more influential people, is something that authorities are still trying to find out.
Pamatong has been alleged to be behind the foiled attempt to detonate explosives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, a highly placed intelligence source told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday.
Pamatong was linked to the four arrested suspects, mainly Grandeur Guerrero, a military reservist.
The Inquirer source said Guerrero has been acting as the “chief of staff” of Pamatong, the self-proclaimed “commander-in-chief” of the USA Freedom Fighters of the East or USAFFE, a named derived from the World War II era United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).
Pamatong’s USAFFE is comprised of a dozen or so members, described as “attention seekers” without any potent capability to sow terror or destabilize the government, according to the source, who is familiar with the investigation.
But the source added that the investigation would certainly not end with Pamatong, declining to give more details.
“While (Pamatong’s group) can cause harm because people can still get injured, the quality of their group is questionable. They are mere attention seekers,” the source said.
The source said Pamatong’s USAFFE appeared to have been formed only in July.
Malacañang said it was waiting for the results of authorities’ investigation into the bombing attempt.
“What we want to say is at present, there is no grave threat because of this incident. The President and the government think that any harm that this wanted to bring has been stopped. The implication of what happened yesterday (Monday, Sept. 1) is being studied thoroughly,” Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a press briefing.
Coloma stressed that “government would like to be in a constant state of vigilance, alertness, and readiness because government is ultimately responsible for the safety and well-being of its citizens.”
“And that is why even if there have been no serious consequences as a result of what has been uncovered, we want to forestall or to impede any future attempt that might threaten the stability and peace and order of our land and communities,” he said.
Coloma also said nothing in the initial investigation being conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicated that Guerrero’s group was linked to a destabilization plot but added authorities have been checking into their network or alliances.
A manifesto against China was found in the possession of the suspects. It mainly criticized the government’s supposed soft stance in handling the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China in the Spratlys.
The Inquirer source said the NAIA terminal served as the group’s meeting area and that the airport was not their primary target.
As reported earlier, the group targeted the Chinese Embassy, Mall of Asia owned by Filipino-Chinese tycoon Henry Sy, and the office of DMCI, a leading real estate company that was investigated for allegedly employing undocumented Chinese nationals in its power plant in Batangas.
The source added that the group also planned to “attack” the Army Headquarters in Fort Bonifacio and V. Luna Medical Center, the military’s main hospital in Metro Manila.
The improvised incendiary device, comprised of banned firecrackers and gasoline, found inside the suspects’ vehicle was hardly a deadly explosive, the source said.
“But it still could have hurt people that is why we are still taking this seriously,” the source said.
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