Basilan court finds alleged Spanish terrorist guilty of illegal firearm possession
MANILA, Philippines — The Spanish national who was accused of terrorism was convicted of three counts of illegal possession of a loaded small firearm.
According to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla in a statement, Branch 1 of the Basilan Regional Trial Court found Abdelhakim Labidi Adib guilty beyond reasonable doubt for Possession of a Loaded Small Arm in three separate Judgments.
Adib was originally charged with three counts of Illegal Possession of Explosives (Sec. 3, PD 1866 as amended by Sec. 1, RA 9516), but Remulla said that Adib, through counsel, proffered to plea bargain by pleading guilty to the lesser offenses — three counts of Possession of a Loaded Small Arm.
It can be recalled that Adib was arrested at a checkpoint in Basilan in 2018 before the 14th Special Forces Company of the Philippine Army filed for an inquest against the respondent.
Agents of the Philippine Army arrested Adib after receiving an intelligence report that two suspicious persons would be passing Brgy. Townsite, Maluso, Basilan Province.
Adib then attempted to throw the bag he was carrying when he was arrested while his companion fled.
The Philippine Army said it found the following items inside Adib’s bag:
- one Rifle Grenade;
- one MKII Fragmentation Hand Grenade;
- one Electric Blasting Cap, as initiator;
- one Mobile cellular phone with battery and sim card which will serve as switch;
- one nine- volts battery, which will serve as power source;
- one colored pink lunch box, which serves as container or disguise;
- cash amounting to P8,520; and
- Adib’s Spanish passport, driver’s license, credit cards, and Spanish National Identification Card.
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