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The government Friday launched a nationwide manhunt for an alleged
Vietnamese-American terrorist who could pose a threat to Asian
leaders during summits here next week.
Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez said police
were attempting to find fugitive Vihn Nguyen Tan before the Asean
and East Asia summits amid a warning from Canada of a possible
terror attack during the meets.
The summits were to have been held in the
central island city of Cebu in December but were postponed after
Canada as well as Britain, Australia and the United States warned of
terror threats.
“In view of the uncertainty as to his
whereabouts, it may be assumed that he has not left the Philippines
and therefore poses a threat to the forthcoming Asean Summit,”
Gonzalez said.
Tan, 51, who is also known as Vo Van Duc, is the
alleged leader of the Free Vietnam Revolutionary Group.
He was arrested at a suburban house in the
capital Manila in 2001 while allegedly assembling a bomb for use in
attacking the Vietnamese Embassy here.
Duc was serving a four-year sentence when he was
illegally freed in 2005 by corrupt immigration officials who gave
him a Filipino passport.
Efforts since to locate him have been futile,
and three immigration officials are now being investigated for the
fiasco.
Immigration officials “cannot state with
clarity if Vo Van Duc really left the country,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said Duc is also wanted in Thailand for
a failed bombing of the Vietnamese Embassy there in 2001, as well as
for an arson attack on Hanoi’s mission in London in 2000.
Duc was born in south Vietnam, but records show
his declared permanent address is in San Jose, California, Gonzalez
said.
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