Lorenzana orders arrest of 100 for rebellion

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, acting as martial law administrator, has issued Arrest Order No. 1 for 100 people for rebellion.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II announced Lorenzana’s directive in front of several children tagged as members of the Maute clan, blamed for the siege of Marawi City that prompted President Duterte’s declaration of martial law last week.

“Actually, the declaration of martial law is only on the island of Mindanao, but its effects, for example the arrest order, can be implemented anywhere,” Aguirre said. “We have to remember rebellion is a continuing offense.

The arrest order was issued on Monday. The National Bureau of Investigation received a copy on Tuesday.

Maute, Abu Sayyaf links

Aguirre said the people named in the arrest order had been identified as “members, supporters, spies, couriers of the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf group” blamed for “indiscriminately killing, kidnapping and perpetuating bombings in Marawi City and some parts of Mindanao, sowing terror to the populace.”

The four-page Arrest Order No. 1 was shown to reporters while 27 men, women and children, including a 2-year-old boy, were at the NBI to clear their names.

“Among these individuals, 13 names were listed in a memorandum dated May 26, 2017, from the chief consultant of Visayas-Mindanao field office of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, and were labeled as ‘members of the Maute clan who have, in one way or the other aided and abetted the killings and attack recently happened in Marawi City,” the NBI’s initial report read.

Boys on list

Those accused include 15- and 10-year-old boys, according to the NBI.

Dalomilang Parahiman, a lawyer for the accused, said his clients’ only fault was having Maute and Bandrang for their surnames.

“But Maute is a very common surname. As common as De la Cruz,” said Parahiman, who is also regional director in the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.

Most of the adults were businessmen, Parahiman said. They were bound for Saudi Arabia together with their families but a government lookout bulletin barred them from leaving.

These women and children were among those presented to reporters by the NBI. They were also present when Aguirre announced the arrest order.

Aguirre said the government had received passenger manifests listing supporters of Maute group who had left Mindanao.