Wahab Akbar laid to rest near house in Basilan

Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar, one of the three fatalities in Tuesday night's explosion at the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City, was laid to rest near his house in Basilan province shortly after Wednesday noon. Radio dzMM reported that the interment, which ended about 1 p.m., was held in a land owned by Akbar in Barangay (village) Sumagdang in Isabela City. The radio report also said that the lawmaker's residence stands on the same property. The remains of the congressman arrived at his residential subdivision in Isabela City about 8 a.m. Wednesday. Akbar's remains were brought to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and placed aboard a Philippine Airlines flight for Zamboanga City at 5 a.m. The remains were flown to Zamboanga City, and then transferred to Basilan aboard a "fast craft" ferry. Before the burial, Akbar's remains were first brought to the house of one of his wives, Isabela City Mayor Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar. It was then moved to his other wife - Jum Jainuddin-Akbar - who succeeded the Lantawan-born congressman as governor. Radio dzMM also reported that Jainuddin's family offered a prayer to Akbar before the late congressman was brought to his final resting place, where a throng of supporters showed up. His third wife wife, Nur-in Akbar, lost in the mayoralty race in Lantawan town. Isabela is a fifth class city and the capital of the island province of Basilan. The city has a population of 73,032 people in 13,753 households. - GMANews.TV