Philippine Court Acquits Six of Terrorism Charges

A Philippine court acquitted six Pakistanis of terrorism charges Thursday, saying the evidence against them may have been planted by police.

The acquittals raise new questions about a government anti-terrorist campaign in December and January.

The six Pakistanis were among 27 people rounded up during the campaign, which accompanied an unsuccessful government attempt to pass an anti-terrorism bill that would have curtailed constitutional freedoms.

Some of the suspects were accused of links to Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, who is charged with masterminding the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York in 1993.

They were also accused of plotting in January 1995 to blow up American airliners over the Pacific and to kill Pope John Paul II during the pontiff’s visit to Manila.

Five of the 27 suspects remain in custody and are on trial in Bulacan province, north of the capital. The others were either acquitted or charges against them were dropped.

In her ruling, Judge Josefina Salonga said she acquitted the six Pakistanis because prosecutors failed to prove they owned the explosives allegedly confiscated in police raids in December.

Salonga said the explosives may have been planted, citing a police claim that they found grenades on the floor of the car in which five of the suspects were riding.

“Terrorists would certainly not carry explosives in plain view of just anyone, especially so in this case when they are already being pursued,” Salonga said. “They are not this clumsy, crude and reckless.”

Salonga said she also doubted police testimony that another suspect let an agent into his house, then showed him boxes of explosives and asked him to help carry them.