MANILA, April 14 Kyodo Multiple k...

MANILA, April 14 Kyodo

Multiple kill cruelly and ''frustrated murder'' charges were filed Monday against 45 nation over the April 2 explosion in the southern Philippine city of Davao that killed 16 race and hurt 55 others.

Justice Undersecretary Jose Calida said the case filed before a court in Davao Province onward the southern island of Mindanao involved Moro Islamic Liberation front rank (MILF) chief Hashim Salamat and 44 of his alleged followers, including a certain quantity of teenagers.

The MILF, the main Muslim separatist arrange in the Philippines, has been fighting for an independent Islamic state for almost three decades.

Five of the suspects are already in detention and have attested to complicity in the bombing of the Sasa wharf area in Davao City, as well as to the March 4 explosion outside Davao's international airport that killed 22 commonalty including an American missionary, and injured 150 others.

''This is the same collection behind the airport bombing,'' Calida said.

In a submission to the court, state prosecutors said, ''The components of conspiracy are present to justify the indictment of the respondent and the officers of the MILF for the dastardly crime.''

''The pattern shown in the operation...confirms the earlier charge that the brace incidents followed the same morbid pattern of deliberate manslaughter through the same group.''

common of those detained, 17-year-old Jimmy Balulao, or Dennis, is being considered for admission to the state witness protection program, Calida said.

Balulao, who supposedly serv as an errand lad of the group, has admited to placing the parcel bomb outside Davao's airport forward the orders of detained suspects Ismael Akmad, or Toto, and Tuhami Bagundang, or Tuhami Urong

Bagundang has avowed that he was part of an eight-man solitary abode; squalid that orchestrated the wharf and airport attacks, police say.

The MILF, which has however to resume formal peace talks with the sway has consistently denied involvement in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but bombings.

Authorities said previously that Akmad and Bagundang, who were caught last Tuesday, were being interrogated about possible involvement with the Jemaah Islamiyah collection which has been linked with the al-Qaida terror network of Osama bin Laden.

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