Palace denies Aquino in Zamboanga for Marwan
President Benigno Aquino III. MALACANANG PHOTO BUREAU
President Benigno Aquino III on Friday took exception to an Inquirer report that claimed he went to Zamboanga City on Jan. 25 to receive Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” dead or alive.
A top Palace official told the Inquirer that the President had disputed the allegation “a long time ago” and several times in the aftermath of the bungled police operation to capture the Malaysian-born Marwan, his compatriot Amin Baco and their Filipino associate Basit Usman.
“He has said so many times before why he flew to Zamboanga City. He went there because he wanted to look into the bombing incident himself,” the official said.
The President has a number of other arguments against the Inquirer report filed from Zamboanga City, the official said.
One of these was it did not make sense for the President to fly to Zamboanga City if indeed Marwan would be presented when he could go direct to Cotabato City, the official said.
READ: Sources say Aquino in Zamboanga for turnover of Marwan
But most of all, the official said, the President wanted to emphasize that he flew to Zamboanga City that day because his concern for the “safety of the civilians” in the city was “paramount,” following the car-bomb explosion on Jan. 23 that killed two people and injured dozens.
The al-Qaida linked terrorist group Abu Sayyaf was tagged as the one behind the blast, reportedly part of a planned jailbreak for its detained members.
In September 2013, members of the Moro National Liberation Front, disgruntled over peace talks between its rival, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the government, tried to take over Zamboanga City, but were repelled by government forces.
On Jan. 25, police and military officials gave the President a security briefing on the Abu Sayyaf threat.
He also met with Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Budget Secretary Butch Abad and National Housing Authority Chair Chito Cruz for an update on the rehabilitation program for the city after the Zamboanga siege.
