PNP executing script to nail me to Batasan blast - Hataman

A party-list lawmaker, one of two high profile personalities tagged as masterminds behind the November 13 blast at the Batasang Pambansa, slammed Tuesday the result of the investigation of the Philippine National Police- Criminal Investigation Group (PNP-CIDG) into the attack. In his privilege speech, Anak Mindanao Rep. Mujiv Hataman, said he believes that police investigators are executing a “script" to implicate him in the explosion that blew to death five people including his political rival, Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. “We all witnessed the incident and how authorities swiftly caught the suspects in Payatas (Quezon City). And how lucky the authorities were when all the [pieces of] evidence that they said were used in plotting the bomb attack are found in the supposed hide out," he said. But like a telenovela, Hataman said there should be mysteries in the script just like the death of one of the suspects, Abu Jandal, an alleged bomb maker, and the confession of Ridwan Indama, the man who allegedly conspired with the supposed masterminds. “If only they were still alive, this telenovela is already finished and the truth has come out. But what if the ‘director’ who is all behind this things wanted a different ending?" Hataman asked. Police tagged Hataman and his brother Jim, and former Basilan lawmaker Gerry Salapuddin, as masterminds in the bombing based on the “supplemental affidavits" of two arrested suspects - former Tuburan mayor Hajarum Jamiri and Ikram Indama, who is Salapuddin’s former driver during his term as lawmaker. Hataman said that at the preliminary investigation last November 29 at the Department of Justice, Jamiri refused to affirm his statements before the prosecutors. Jamiri, according to Hataman, refused to affix his signature in the affidavits because these were made under duress. “At ayon po sa mga kamag-anak ni Jamiri, siya po ay sinaktan, kinuryente at iba pang porma ng pag torture para lamang idiin at isangkot kaming magkapatid," Hataman said. (According to Jamiri’s relatives, he was tortured, given electric shock and subjected other forms of punishment to force him to nail my brother and me.) Jamiri on Monday evening posted an P80,000 bail and was released from custody by police. As a human rights advocates, Hataman said stories about a suspect being tortured to admit a crime are not new to him, but Jamiri’s case is something rare. He also decried the alleged smear campaign being peddled through a “white paper" titled, “Who Killed Wahab Akbar?," the copies of which are circulating in Camp Crame. The paper describes him as a “Muslim activist and radical thinker aligned with the political opposition." Hataman added that the white paper also specifically mentioned the raid on the Islamic Information Center in January 2005 that have been a subject of a House inquiry. “This House found the raid and the arrests as illegal, the [the pieces of evidence] planted, and that the CIDG operatives conducting that raid committed gross human rights violations, exposing the anomalies and irregularities of CIDG operations," he said. “Thank you for refreshing my memory, and therefore making me ask: Hindi kaya ito isa sa mga dahilan sa pag-ipit sa akin ngayon? (could this be part of the plan to persecute me?)" he asked. Hataman has appealed to other victims of the blast to stand up and fight for justice and don’t just be spectators in finding out the truth on who is behind the gruesome attack. He said he is willing to give up politics just for peace of mind and safety of his family. He said he can still help victims of human rights even as a private citizen. Hataman gave this advice to Akbar’s family: “Be wary of people even of those who say they are your allies. Hindi lahat ng mga taong nakapalibot sa kanila ay naghahangad ng hustisya, bagkus ay mas nakatutok sa pagsira sa aking pangalan upang maprotektahan ang kanilang mga political interest at plano sa Basilan." (Not all the people around them are seeking justice; many are seeking to destroy my name to protect their political agenda.) He said he is willing to reach out to the Akbars if they are serious to seek justice to the late Basilan lawmaker. Hataman has expressed his support for the creation of an independent body to investigate the blast. - GMANews.TV