Court orders Sulu mayor’s arrest

Mayor Munib Estino (in red shirt) is shown with his brother Hadji Kadil and supporters. PHOTO FROM SULU.GOV.PH

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Panglima Estino, Sulu, Mayor Munib Estino on charges of homicide and obstruction of justice that were filed in the Office of the Ombudsman last month.

Also ordered arrested was Estino’s bodyguard, PO2 Hector Abubakar, who has been charged in the shooting death of Mannan Badang on Feb. 22, 2010, during an argument inside the temporary town hall. Panglima Estino is a fifth-class municipality in Sulu.

The antigraft court’s First Division chairman, Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz, signed the arrest orders dated Feb. 1 and set Estino’s bail at P40,000 for the homicide case and P12,000 for the second criminal charge.

Estino, a former vice governor of Sulu, was accused of fatally shooting Badang during a hearing on a family dispute.

Estino claimed Abubakar shot Badang who was in the act of attacking the mayor.—Cynthia D. Balana