By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent .
THE ordination of Tandag, Surigao del Sur Bishop Raul Bautista Dael went without a hitch on Thursday but the police are suspecting there could have been a disruption had it not been for the arrest of two suspected members of a Daesh-inpired terror group in Barangay Tablon on the eve of the biggest religious activity so far here this year.
Camp Alagar spokesperson Supt. Lemuel Gonda said investigators were checking whether the two arrested suspects came to Cagayan de Oro to disrupt the new bishop’s ordination at the St. Agustine Metropolitan Cathedral here the other day.
“Our assumption is they will commit possible [terrorist] activities during the ordination,” Gonda said.
He also noted that the suspects were not included in the “martial law list” of suspects.
“These are the new guys who came low of the intelligence radar,” Gonda said.
The suspects, identified as Eyadzhemar Abusalam and Dianne Catherine Palmitos, were arrested by police officers and soldiers at a checkpoint in Barangay Tablon on Wednesday.
Abusalam and Palmitos are nurses by profession who, according to Gonda, have been monitored by government intelligence operatives to be gathering money and sending medical assistance to the Maute group.
Abusalam’s address is Block 5, Lot 51, Phase 1, Labangon, General Santos City while Palmitos resides at Block 5, Zone 4, Solomon Subdivision, Barangay Lagao, also in General Santos City.
Authorities seized a caliber .45 pistol and two grenades during the arrest.
Gonda confirmed that intelligence information gathered on the two suspects revealed they had planned to bomb the Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo, Manila, in January.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group that is now holding the suspects in detention, is preparing to file criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 9516 for illegal possession of a firearm and Republic Act 10591 for illegal possession of the grenades.
Three prominent Roman Catholic leaders — Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma and retired Archbishop Nereo Odchimar — attended the ordination of Bishop Dael.
Fr. Teresito “Chito” Suganob, who was taken hostage for five months by the Maute Group, was also present along with some 5,000 priests, nuns and lay members.
Bishop Dael, who hails from Jasaan, Misamis Oriental and a BS Philosophy graduate from Xavier University here, replaced the 77-year-old Archbishop Odchimar who has retired.
“At the moment, I would not yet go into heavy stuff. I simply would like to listen and observe,” Dael said in an interview with Lamdag, a religious website of the St. Paul’s Church here.
Manila Archbishop Tagle and Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Ledesma led the ordination rites and were assisted by Archbishop Odchimar.
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