A campaign poster of former Marawi Mayor Omar Ali, who is again running for the same position (Photo by DIVINA M. SUSON / Inquirer Mindanao)
MARAWI CITY, Philippines — A former mayor of Marawi City with alleged link to an Islamic terror group who is now running again for the city’s mayoralty post was “invited” to the military camp here after the proclamation rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas Ng Bayan (PDP Laban), which the candidate attended in this city on Friday, April 12.
Former Mayor Omar Solitario Ali was initially reported to have been arrested and brought to Kampo Ranao of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, but Lt. Col. Jake Jumawan, commander of the Philippine Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion, said Ali was just “invited” to the camp.
“He was invited. He was never arrested because if he were to be arrested, there should be a warrant of arrest. We only had a chat with Col. Romeo Brawner, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade,” Jumawan, speaking partly in Filipino, said in an interview on Saturday, April 13.
Jumawan said Ali went home after 30 minutes inside Kampo Rando.
“We treated him humanely because the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] is a human rights observer,” Jumawan said.
Until recently, Ali had been in hiding after being included in the arrest order issued by the Department of National Defense when President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law at the start of the Marawi siege on May 23, 2017.
Ali allegedly had links to the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group that led the Marawi attack. He is facing rebellion charges.
His brother Fahad Salic, also a former mayor of Marawi, was also included in the arrest order because of his affinity to the Mautes and due to alleged involvement in illegal drugs. Salic was arrested in a checkpoint in Misamis Oriental. He is now out on bail for his rebellion case, while his drug charges had been dismissed.
Ali’s son, incumbent Marawi City Vice Mayor Arafat Salic, who was in hiding but was later arrested because he was also included in the DND’s arrest order, was released by the Department of Justice after it found out that the arrest order was invalid as it was not issued by the court.
On Aug. 16, 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana removed Ali from the list of persons ordered arrested for rebellion.
He was given a “conditional clearance” on the recommendation of Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) then headed by Secretary Jesus Dureza.
But Ali kept himself out of the public eye until he filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor for the May 13 midterm elections under the People’s Consultative Party (PCP) Ompia last year.
He was one of the mayoralty candidates in Marawi City who attended the PDP-Laban proclamation rally held at the gymnasium of Mindanao State University (MSU) here on April 12 that was supposed to be attended by the President, whom he hoped would endorse him.
The President was not able to arrive due to bad weather, according to a Malacañang statement.
In an interview with the Inquirer last March, Ali vehemently denied being involved in a rebellion.
“The affinity of my brother to the Mautes doesn’t mean I have involvement and knowledge on their activities,” Ali said.
/atm