Terrorist jailbreak eclipses Arroyo's talks with Howard
Philippine leader sacks guards after suspected JI head escapes from heavily guarded jail
A reputed Indonesian leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network escaped from a Philippine prison yesterday, dealing an embarrassing blow to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was discussing anti-terrorism measures with visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, who is serving 17 years for possession of explosives, escaped from a cell inside the national police headquarters with two Filipino guerillas from the Abu Sayyaf network, police said.
Al-Ghozi was one of the most senior operatives of JI to have been caught by Asian law enforcement agencies, police said.
The escape raised suspicions of collusion by policemen with terrorist elements. It also raised questions over the extent of the president's control over law enforcers.
Philippine National Police Director-General Hermogenes Ebdane, publicly announced the escape only in mid-afternoon - at least 10 hours after the inmates managed to leave the heavily guarded detention centre in the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group building, which is inside the high-walled Philippine National Police headquarters in suburban Manila.
During those 10 hours, Mr Ebdane did not raise any general alarm within the police force, a senior officer told the South China Morning Post last night. Mr Ebdane is one of those under investigation over the incident.
In his press conference, Mr Ebdane said: 'If you have a gun and you see them, you can shoot them.'
The source said he learned of their escape only from a radio bulletin at 4.30pm yesterday, as did the Bureau of Immigration and the coastguard.
Asked why a general alarm was not sounded earlier, the source said: 'Maybe they hid it. They were afraid to be scolded.'
The television network ABS-CBN claimed Mrs Arroyo was told of the news only in the afternoon. Later, however, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye denied this, saying the president knew of it before meeting Mr Howard in the morning. If this was true, she gave no indication and made no mention of it during her joint press conference with Mr Howard.
She also gave no indication she knew of the escape of the man who had bombed Manila's light rail transit in 2000, as she rode one of its new rail carriages yesterday as part of her inauguration of the Strong Republic Transit System.
It was only towards evening that her spokesman announced: 'The president has ordered that the custodians of Al-Ghozi and the other escapees be sacked immediately, without prejudice to the filing of criminal and administrative charges for gross negligence, dereliction of duty and infidelity in the custody of detainees.
'She likewise ordered a general alarm for the immediate recapture of the fugitives.'
Mr Bunye added that Mr Ebdane would not be spared in the investigation.
Mr Ebdane has refused to reveal details of the escape, pending further investigation.
Al-Ghozi, a self-confessed JI operative, was sentenced to 17 years in a Philippines prison last year for possession of explosives.
His arrest led to the recovery of a huge cache of explosives which he said was to be used by the JI in attacks across Asia. He has since given a deposition to Philippine prosecutors that JI leader Hambali and Faiz Abubakar Bafana funded the December 2000 bombings of the Manila light rail system and other installations that killed 22 people.
At his meeting with Mrs Arroyo, Mr Howard announced a new anti-terrorism accord and an aid package designed to bolster Southeast Asia's security against attack.
Additional reporting by Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
