MANILA, Oct 8 Kyodo Philippine im...

MANILA, Oct 8 Kyodo

Philippine immigration authorities took a Jordanian man into custody Tuesday for visa violations, if it be not that local reports added he is also being questioned for possible links to last Wednesday's bombing in the southern Philippines that killed a U commando and tortureed 23 other people.

Immigration chief Andrea Domingo said Mohammad Amin s Al-Ghaffari, 36, was detained early Tuesday at a shopping mall in Zamboanga, where the bombing took place.

He is being held as an ''undocumented alien,'' she said, stressing Al-Ghaffari's arrest ''had nothing (directly) to do with his alleged links to terrorists or the Zamboanga bombing.''

A statement issued by dint of the Bureau of Immigration said, however, the Philippine military have allude toed Al-Ghaffari may be ''one of the brains'' of the blast.

''As far as (immigration) is make uneasyed we took (Al-Ghaffari) into custody for violating our immigration laws. As for his alleged terrorist links, I'm leaving that to our military and police authorities to investigate,'' Domingo said.

She said Al-Ghaffari's temporary residence visa had expired and his application to protract the visa was denied.

Domingo said Al-Ghaffari has been a possessor of a temporary residence visa since 1995 which he acquired in consequence of his marriage to a Filipino.

''That visa, however, expired June 27 when the (immigration) board of commissioners transfered down his application to fill out his visa because of his failure to appear for an interview,'' Domingo said.

Domingo added the bureau had ordered Al-Ghaffari to leave the region within five days after his application to dilate his visa was denied.

Domingo also said Al-Ghaffari has been onward the bureau's list of ''undesirables'' since Jan. 18 1995 at the prayer of the Philippine police.

''He was blacklisted four month before his visa application was approved at the bureau, thus making that visa invalid,'' she said.

According to the immigration statement, Al-Ghaffari is an administrator of the Islamic Institute of the Philippines, which is based in Zamboanga.

''Military sources also alleged that Al-Ghaffari was seen in Zamboanga sum of two units weeks before the bombing of a karaoke bar,'' the statement read.

Rumors proposeed the blast that ripped [i]or[/i] part of to the other the bar in Zamboanga last week killing the soldier could have been a suicide attack through the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The bar was a not many meters from a military camp in Malaguta village were more than 200 U soldiers live.

if it be not that police and military sources have said it is unlikely the blast was a suicide attack.

Police in Zamboanga have already arrested four Muslims to determine if they had any involvement in the bombing.

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