Mamaulan Abinal Mulok, mayor of Maguing, Lanao del Sur, and Mohammad Ali Abu Abinal, former mayor of Marantao town admitted their involvement in the illegal drug trade in a press conference at Camp Crame. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net
An incumbent mayor and a former local official surrendered to Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa on Friday to admit their involvement in the drug distribution in some cities and provinces.
Mamaulan Abinal Mulok, mayor of Maguing, Lanao del Sur, and Mohammad Ali Abu Abinal, former mayor of Marantao town from the same province met with Dela Rosa ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement in Capiz on Friday afternoon.
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Mayor Rasul Sangki of Ampatuan town in Maguindanao also surrendered to the police.
He went straight to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) minutes after De la Rosa presented Mulok and Abinal to the media.
Both Mulok and Abinal admitted that they had been involved in the distribution of drugs outside their provinces, particularly in Caloocan, Cavite, and Quiapo, Manila.
In a hastily called press conference at Camp Crame, the two officials said they had been involved in the drug trade from years 2000 to 2002.
When asked by De la Rosa during the briefing, Mulok and Abinal said they get their drug supply from Johaira Macabuat, also a former mayor of Maguing in Lanao del Sur, known as “Marimar.”
Macabuat was tagged by the police as the “Mindanao shabu queen.” She was recently arrested in Cagayan de Oro City.
“We expect more to come,” De la Rosa said, adding that another mayor might surrender to him Monday next week.
Chief Supt. Roel Obusan, chief of the CIDG, told reporters that they will subject Mulok, Abinal and Sangki to questioning and custodial investigation. Both Mulok and Abinal expressed willingness to undergo drug testing.
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Obusan clarified that they cannot put the local officials under police custody because no charges were filed against them yet.
“Definitely, we have nothing legally to detain them. Remember, it is but voluntary on their part to come here. We can’t keep them here without any legal basis,” he said.