59 suspected Maute men undergo inquest

At least 59 alleged MNLF members eyed as reinforcements for the Maute group were arrested at a checkpoint in Mindanao and flown to Manila for inquest proceedings. —RICHARD A. REYES

Fifty-nine men suspected of being members, recruits or supporters of the Maute Group underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday afternoon.

The suspected Maute adherents, handcuffed by pairs or singly, arrived on board a Philippine Army bus at the DOJ compound in Manila at around 3:45 p.m. They were accompanied by soldiers and policemen in full battle gear.

The suspects were flown on a military plane from Zamboanga City to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City in the morning.

Rebellion charges

Chief Insp. Alan Dalumpines, the chief of the Divisoria police station in Zamboanga City, said the suspects will be charged with rebellion.

It was not clear what the basis of the rebellion charge was but Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command commander, said a special court was available only in Manila for individuals who violated laws during the martial law period.

The suspects will be detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City after the inquest.

The respondents, according to Westmincom report, were arrested in two groups last July 25.

Through an interpreter, the suspects were asked to give their names, ages and addresses by the panel of inquest prosecutors headed by state prosecutor Peter Ong. They were assisted by lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office.

The inquest will ascertain the facts of the cases and determine if the suspects should remain in custody and charged in court.

According to the Wesmincom, 32 of the suspects were arrested at a checkpoint in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, while the rest were caught in a raid in a house Guiwan, Zamboanga City, last July 25.

The suspects claimed they were members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) heading for a training exercise in Camp Jabal Nur, Madamba, Lanao del Sur. Seized from them were military and police uniforms.

The MNLF leadership later denied that the suspects were their members, adding that there were no scheduled training exercise in Camp Jabal Nur.

The military claimed the suspects could be reinforcements sent for by the Maute Group to Marawi.

Habib Mudjahab Hashim, chair of the MNLF Islamic Command Council (ICC), said they have received information of massive recruitment activities in western Mindanao in the name of the MNLF.

“I pity those who have been lured. They could end up as IS (Islamic State) or Maute suspects,” Hashim said.

Samsula Adju of the MNLF based in Sulu confirmed that there was no program for new recruits intended for Lanao del Sur. —WITH A REPORT FROM RICHEL UMEL