ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- Quirino Esguerra, lawyer of the late Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar’s family, said Wednesday he was confident that even with Ikram Indama's retraction, they will still win the case against former Basilan Representative Abdulgani Salapuddin and three other suspects in last November’s Batasan bombing.

"Our case against Salapuddin and three others is very strong, and his (Indama) retraction will have no substantial effect on the case itself," Esguerra told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone.

"The family is confident that Atty. Raymond Fortun can win the case given all the earlier voluntary statement made by Indama," he added.

The lawyer also laughed off Indama's claim that Governor Jum Akbar, wife of the late Basilan representative Wahab Akbar, coerced him to implicate Salapuddin.

"She is a frail woman, very soft spoken, very neophyte in politics and she could not even break a glass," Esguerra said.

In an earlier interview, the governor admitted meeting Indama twice at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group office.

Esguerra said that during those two occasions, "the governor just pleaded with the suspect Indama to speak the truth. And during the time she visited Indama, everyone in the CIDG, including Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina, was present."

Esguerra said that with the retraction, Indama returns to being a suspect, along with Salapuddin, former Tuburan Mayor Hajarun Jamiri, Benjamin Hataman and Police Officer 1 Judda Bayan.

"He was turned over to the CIDG because he sought the Witness Protection Program. But since he retracted, he'll now be turned over to the Bicutan Jail," Esguerra added.