COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The four arrested suspects in the rape-slay of a 14-year old girl in Marawi City were shot to death early Tuesday somewhere in Bayang town in Lanao del Sur, sources confirmed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
But the four suspects were never formally charged, even after they allegedly admitted in a video to raping and killing the victim while her parents were on congregational Muslim prayer Friday noon in Barangay Basak Malutlut, Marawi City.
The four— identified as Salman Udag Sambitory, Jabbar Rikta Macacua, Elias Kamote Pimping and Jalil Alilit Sani — were arrested by policemen early Sunday, with the help of civilians, who identified them as those who hastily came out of the victim’s family house, said Vice-Governor Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Three sources confirmed the execution of the suspects to the Inquirer following their supposed release after police did not file any criminal charges against them. Two of the sources said the execution happened at 2 a.m. Tuesday.
But resident Hadji Muhammad Faiz Biston, who closely followed the developments, said the execution took place before midnight, as he posted the information on his Facebook account 11:27 p.m. on Monday.
Earlier, Biston said in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon that: “Final na. pero hindi dito sa Marawi..dadalhin sa bayang ang apat na un. (It’s final (execution), but it would not be here in Marawi City. They will be taken to Bayang).”
Hundreds of residents trooped to the Marawi City Hall and kept close watch of developments until late Monday evening, when the four were spirited away by unidentified men, who allegedly brought them to Bayang.
At 11:27 p.m. on Monday, Biston wrote on his status: “Alhamdulillah..tapos na ngaung gabi ang maliligayang araw ng mga adik na rapist na un..ngaun cla (sila) pinatay…pinalabas nla na dadalhin dw sa bayang ung mga adik..pro ang totoo ngaung gabi pla cla na execute…(All praises due to God… The good times of those drug addict-rapists are over. This evening they were executed. They made it appear that they were being brought to Bayang; but the truth is that they were executed this evening).”
The two other sources declined to be named as they said they wanted to reserve their statements for “some arguments against the hasty process that led to the execution.”
Before the city police, Lucman said, the four admitted to raping and killing the victim by strangulation, and of taking valuables before burning the house.
Lucman, whose office heads the ARMM police, said the four arrested suspects had told investigators they were under the influence of dangerous drugs when they committed the crimes.
“Imagine a series of crimes committed by four matured men: forcibly entered a house, took valuables, raped and strangled to death a 14-year old girl, then burned the house. It happened last Friday in broad daylight, while people were in the mosque for the Juma’ah prayers. They confessed to the crimes and many other previous crimes. They also said they were under the influence of dangerous drugs when they committed the crimes. I say extreme situations require extreme measures. So help us God Almighty,” Lucman said.
Sources said three others were being hunted down for their roles in the crime, based on the confession of the four men.
Samira Gutoc of the Young Moro Professionals Network (YPN) said there seemed to be no one interested in filing charges against the four when they were brought to the police station, as apparently everyone was overwhelmed by emotion.
Gutoc said there was no evidence to show there was execution; and if ever there was, it was not made public.
“Many of the residents obviously wanted the Sharia law’s death penalty imposed on the arrested men. But for me, it had to go through the criminal procedure also of the Sharia law,” said another YPN member, who requested anonymity for fear of being reprimanded by elders.
One source said be it Sharia law or not, the parties and the authorities should follow due process. “But what happened was that it became like a mob rule, and the rest of the world can take this against us.”
But even non-Muslims, some of them women, supported the summary execution.
Commenting on a trending post by Biston, Lanie Gaspar said: “Dapat pagpasyahan nila ng mabilis kc (kasi) pag nakialam ang human rights malamang mapawalang sala pa mga yan ipagbwal na rin kc ang mga drugs dyn sa lugar niu maawa kau sa mga kabataan nabbiktima tulad nito (They should decide outright, because when human rights groups step in, they would probably get off-the-hook. They should strictly ban dangerous drugs in their place. Pity the young people, who fall victims like this).”
Apparently not knowing that the comments on the tape were referring to a place in the Philippines, Madelene Cañero said: “Sana ganito rin dito sa pinas (How I wish it’s like this in the Philippines).” She quickly added: Sa Pinas pala ito? (So this is in the Philippines).” (Nash B. Maulana, Inquirer Mindanao)