17 suspected Abu Sayyaf transferred to Taguig jail

17 AbuSayyaf members detained in Basilan transferred to Bicutan. PHOTO BY JOVIC YEE

MANILA, Philippines—The seventeen suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group who were transferred yesterday from the Basilan Provincial Jail to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City expect a faster resolution of their decade-long cases now that they would be turned over to a Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

One of the suspects, Abdulaziz Kunting, told reporters they were hoping for “justice” after their cases in Basilan dragged on for years because of “corruption.”

“Most of us are for reinvestigation, and it should take only 90 days. In Basilan, it dragged on for 10 years. The reason: corruption,” Kunting said.

He added that they would “prove that corruption exists [within] the judiciary. We have evidence [to prove it].”

“We would first need to compile our documents…[It would show] that the WPP (Witness Protection Program) used by the DOJ (Department of Justice) prosecutors are all liars,” Kunting said. “The military arresting officers turned us over to the courts without a proper inquest proceeding. That’s not allowed but [in Basilan] that’s what they are doing.”

He also alleged that corruption was so ingrained in Basilan that “bribes are being negotiated inside the courtroom and within the Basilan Provincial Jail. That’s why we wanted to be transferred here.”

Basilan provincial jail warden Abdulhusin Atalad said that fixers using the name of Judge Danilo Bucoy might be behind Ahmad Kunting’s claim that they were being asked to pay P300,000 to P400,000 in exchange for their freedom.

Bucoy handled the suspects’ cases before they were turned over to the Pasig RTC.

Ahmad said they would not have requested for a transfer and had paid up if they were indeed ASG members.

Another suspect, Abdul-Khan Ajid, claimed innocence, saying he was tortured by three scout rangers, who were under Col. Alexander Macario.

The Kunting brothers, Ajid and the 14 other suspected ASG members are being tagged in the June 2001 Lamitan siege where the group took captive a number of people in a fierce standoff with government troops. The fighting left 20 soldiers dead, while two hostages were beheaded by the terrorist group.

Pasig RTC first vice executive judge Maria Gracia Cadiz-Casaclang issued yesterday the commitment order transferring them to Camp Bagong Diwa.

However, the kidnapping and serious illegal detention cases of the suspects have yet to be raffled since some records of the case are still in Basilan. The court said that it would raffle off the case once it receives the records.

Atalad said that progress of the suspected terrorists’ cases have been slow because the Basilan RTC has only two judges: Judge Bucoy and Judge Leo Principe.

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