4 persons of interest in Jolo church bombing surrender

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Four persons of interest in the double bomb attack on a church in Jolo, Sulu have surrendered to authorities to clear their names, a military official said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer, identified them as Alshaber Arbi, 18; Gerry Isnajil, whose age was not provided; Alsimar Mohammad Albi, 24; and a 17-year old male.

Besana said Arbi, a Grade 11 student of the Kalingalan Caluang National High School, and Isnajil, a teacher in the same school, were among those caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera after Sunday's twin blasts at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Barangay Walled City, Jolo, Sulu.

On the CCTV footage, Arbi was the person in a ponytail while Isnajil was the man in maroon baseball cap with a red backpack.

Besana said Arbi and Isnajil surrendered to Senior Supt. Pablo Labra II, Sulu police director, around 10 a.m. Wednesday to clear their names.

He said that Alsimar and his 17-year old brother submitted themselves to Labra around 3 p.m. Wednesday, for the same reason.

He said the investigation showed that prior to the explosion the two went to a pharmacy to buy medicine for Alsimar’s mother who is confined at the Integrated Provincial Health Office hospital.

After they bought the medicine, a loud explosion occurred at the church and Julius immediately went near the vicinity when secondary explosion occurred.

According to Besana, Alsimar called his younger brother to stay away just as the suspects who were seen behind him fled the vicinity.

According to the brothers' statements, the two did not know the identities of the suspects and that they came out for fear that authorities will hunt them down. (PNA)