Philippines DOJ seeks probe of US nationals implicated in Davao bombing

[Minstrel Boy]

DOJ seeks probe of US nationals implicated in Davao bombing

By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star 12/22/2004

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking the United States to locate its two nationals — Michael Meiring and his friend, Stephen Hughes — and conduct an investigation into their alleged participation in the bombing of a hotel in Davao City on May 16, 2002.

In his letter to US Ambassador to Manila Francis Ricciardone, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez noted that Meiring was reported to be living in Houston, Texas while Hughes was said to be a teacher at the North Surry High School in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

"Since both are US citizens and wanted by the Philippine authorities in connection with the bombing of the Evergreen Hotel in Davao City, which clearly appears to be an act of terrorism, I am certain the US government will not tolerate this terrorist act," Gonzalez said. The DOJ chief sought the support of the US, through the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security, to track down Meiring and Hughes.

...

Gonzalez was furnished a copy of an investigation report on Meiring made by 11 News, a media organization in Texas, that said the suspected terrorist had been in Houston.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200412229902.htm

I wrote about Meiring on my blog in October:

Meiring is an American national and self-described "fortune hunter," who was seriously injured May 16, 2002 in an explosion in his Davao City hotel room on the Phillippine island of Mindanao. Screaming in pain, his legs mangled, Meiring told police someone had lobbed a grenade through his window. Actually, the explosion had originated inside a metal box with which Meiring had checked in.

Just three days later, an FBI team arrived at his hospital room and spirited him stateside before the matter could be investigated, despite arrest warrants, an order that he not leave the country, and "without the knowledge of any police, military or government official in the city or region," in the words of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who called Meiring's FBI-aided flight an "affront to Philippine sovereignty."

From The Minda News excellent three-part series on the Meiring mystery:

The circumstances behind Meiring’s sudden departure from the hospital, inspite of his serious condition, raised questions about his real identity. A number of officials in ‘for background only’ interviews, speculated Meiring may have been an agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Meiring himself, according to those who had spent some time with him, refered to himself as CIA although he would qualify that to mean “Christ In Action.”

Four months after the incident, Davao City Prosecutor Raul Bendico announced that findings from the investigation of the case indicated that the accident occurred when Meiring was attempting to set up explosives intended to blow up the Evergreen Hotel.

More here.

[w4rma]

1. booby trapped box? (nt)

[seemslikeadream]

2. WHO IS MICHAEL MEIRING?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2846220&mesg_id=2854374&page=

[seemslikeadream]

3. to deny the feisty mayor the biggest bust of his career

Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte should know him. Agents from the Unisted States National Security Council (NSC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spat on his face and subverted his authority when they whisked Meiring out of a Davao hospital---freshly injured from an inadvertent blast of explosives in his possession---straight to a helicopter provided by the US embassy to deny the feisty mayor the biggest bust of his career.

http://www.bulatlat.com/news/3-7/3-7-ciaabbu.html

Meiring who operated under the cover of being a treasure hunter was in fact a CIA operative under the direct protection of the White House (As evidenced by his swift NSA/FBI medivac to San Diego after blowing his own legs off). The US spook spent 10 years on assignment associating with Islamic groups, Abu Sayef, MNLF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and other Philippine based Islamic groups, supplying them with US counterfeit notes (Courtesy of US intelligence) and bomb making materials so that they may create terrorist mayhem within the Philippines, giving the US a pretext to move in and, help, just like in Indonesia - just like nearly everywhere else these Mafia-like thugs can plant their terror and, protection, racket.

Meiring called his front company, Paruosia International Trading Incorporated
Paruosia, in Christian fundamentalist lingo, means Second coming of Christ. - These intelligence asset/crusader types can t resist revealing clues to their delusions of righteous grandeur.
http://www.ucimc.org/newswire/display_any/11007/index.php

[Minstrel Boy]

4. "2002 DAVAO BOMBING: US Embassy help sought on 2 Americans"

2002 DAVAO BOMBING: US Embassy help sought on 2 American

Updated 07:33am (Mla time) Dec 26, 2004
By TJ Burgonio
Inquirer News Service

JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez has asked the United States Embassy in Manila to help locate two Americans suspected of being involved in the May 2002 bomb explosion in a Davao City hotel so they could face prosecution here.

Gonzalez, in a letter to Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, requested the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security in tracking down Michael Meiring and Stephen Hughes, who are believed to have fled to the US.

...

Meiring, whose ID card identified him as a leader of the Moro National Liberation Front's Bangsamoro Armed Forces, "surreptitiously disappeared" after reports claimed he was spirited away by embassy agents from a local hospital, he said.

...

Citing information provided by a media personality in the US, Gonzalez said Meiring had changed his name to Van De Meer and was living in Houston, Texas. The source also said that Hughes was teaching at the North Surry High School in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=22375

[bin.dare]

6. some background on Stephen Hughes ...

... he is an agriculture vocational teacher in North Carolina. his address, phone etc (but not photo) at

http://www.ncffa.org/directory/hughes_steven.html

He is associated with North Carolina based Aquaculture International (who list their corporation head as Jesus Christ)

http://www.aquacultureinternational.org/

Aquaculture International, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to the economically sound, environmentally compatible growth of the aquaculture industry through education and consultation. The organization is involved in the establishment on several practical and innovative demonstration facilities which are economically feasible and can be replicated by farmers, missionaries and other interested individuals.

They, in turn, are associated with Bush's "Volunteers for Prosperity" and "WinRock" out of Little Rock, Arkansas

http://www.volunteersforprosperity.gov/busorg/list.htm
http://www.winrock.org/

The president Charles W. Johnson has been to the Philippines many times but it was through WinRock and not AI, Inc. I cannot locate a picture of him either.

Another name that comes up often in this connection is Gordon Creaser.
A picture of him is at

http://gordoncreaser.com/

[NYC]

5. American terrorists. American cover up.

How is this helping the "War on Terror"?

If these Americans are tried and convicted, can we suspect them of other terrorist attacks throughout the world? Perhaps not Al Qaeda, but Americans are responsible? Is that why these people did not stand trial in the Philippines?