266 MNLF men in Zamboanga siege transferred to Taguig

Moro National Liberation Front. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—A total of 266 members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) implicated in the bloody siege in Zamboanga City last September have been transferred to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

All the accused are facing charges of Rebellion and violation of Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity.

The Supreme Court allowed their transfer to Taguig and the trial of their case from Zamboanga to Manila after the Department of Justice (DoJ) cited security concerns.

A source at Taguig police, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the matter, said the accused will be housed at a new building inside the camp with a capacity for 310 people.

The source said that the accused arrived in Camp Bagong Diwa 1:37 a.m. Monday. They left Zamboanga on board a Philippine Navy Ship on Dec. 27 and arrived Sunday night in Cavite. From there, they were immediately escorted to Taguig.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said two other accused were not transferred to Taguig.

“The two accused will be the government’s state witnesses,” Arellano told INQUIRER.net over the phone. He, however, refused to identify the two for security reasons.

Among the accused are MNLF Founding Chair Nur Misuari and MNLF Commanders Ustadz Habier Malik, Bas Arki and Assamin Hussin, who all remained at large.