Governor accepts ‘yamin’ dare over slay case

DAVAO CITY—Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, accused of being behind the filing of 50 new cases against more people in relation to the Maguindanao massacre, offered to perform what he said was a “higher form of ‘yamin’ (swearing before the Koran)” with Cotabato City administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, and the 49 other accused.

“I dare them to perform with me yamin right at the black stone of Kaaba,” said Mangudadatu in a statement.

“I will swear at Baitullah (House of Allah) that I did not accuse any of 50 new suspects and that if I am guilty of falsehood, I would implore that all my good deeds including 13 hajj performances be eroded and that I die right there,” said the governor, reacting to an Inquirer report on Jan. 15.

The report quoted Sayadi as saying her inclusion as an accused was politically motivated as she planned to run against a Mangudadatu ally in 2016. Sayadi challenged her accusers to perform a yamin.

In Muslim communities, statements of accusations and defense in a court dispute are usually reduced to yamin by Muslim jurists in the absence of direct evidence or testimony. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao