DOJ chief wants swift court proceedings vs Maute bomb maker

Mohammad Noaim Maute. PHOTO from PNP

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday ordered the immediate inquest proceedings of a suspected bomb maker and alleged Maute group member arrested by the authorities in Cagayan de Oro City.
READ: Cops arrest Maute group bomb maker

Mohammad Maute, alias Abu Jadid, 22, a resident of Butig, Lanao del Sur, and suspected bomb expert of the Maute group, was arrested on Thursday outside the room he rented in a house in Sitio Santa Cruz, Barangay Macasandig.
He was captured by members of a joint team of Martial Law Special Action Group (ML-SAG) consisting of police and military operatives, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and other members of the local intelligence community.
Prior to his arrest, Mohammad has been included in the Arrest Order No. 1 issued and signed by Defense Secretary and Martial Law Administrator Delfin Lorenzana dated June 5, 2017, for violations of Article 134, or rebellion, under the Revised Penal Code.

“Immediate inquest proceedings. The arrest of Mohammad Maute is a very welcome development in our efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators behind the attacks on the people of Marawi City. Only by successfully prosecuting the responsible parties can we vindicate the people of Marawi City particularly the innocent victims,” Aguirre said in a statement Friday.

“I have instructed the panel of prosecutors to immediately conduct the inquest proceedings and to expedite their prosecution and, hopefully, their conviction,” Aguirre added.

At the same time, Aguirre stressed the need to transfer all cases against the Maute members and sympathizers to a court situated in Metro Manila, particularly in Taguig.

Aguirre said Mohammad Maute’s arrest in Cagayan de Oro further justifies the Executive’s request to the Supreme Court for the transfer of the hearing of these cases from Cagayan de Oro courts.

“Imagine, one of the personalities involved in the Marawi takeover already in Cagayan de Oro City! This fact justifies the collective fear of our prosecutors and everyone who will be involved in the prosecution of these cases,” he pointed out.

The Justice secretary had already sent two letters dated June 14 and 15 to SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno asking that “the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Taguig City be designated as the court to try and decide all cases and incidents arising from the Maute takeover of Marawi City.”

Aguirre said members of the judiciary and national prosecution service fear their safety in the conduct of inquest, preliminary investigation and trial of the cases involving the Maute group. JPV