Military vows to probe soldiers’ mauling of suspected Maute fighter

MARAWI CITY – The military on Friday assured that it would investigate an incident caught on video, in which some soldiers were mauling a suspected member of the Maute Group.

Col. Romeo

Jr., the deputy commander of the Joint Task Group Ranao, said the investigation will seek to identify soldiers involved in the manhandling of the male suspect – who was shown in an undated video supposedly taken from the war zone.

In the said video, which has also been shared on social media, the man was heard crying as some soldiers took turns in hitting and kicking him.

Other soldiers in the video were also heard pacifying their raging colleagues.

“I saw the video and others were even concerned by calling for a medic. We will find out when the incident happened and who were those involved, as well as what happened to the suspected Maute,” he said.

Brawner said while suspects who were captured were normally stripped except for their underwear to make sure they do not hide firearms or bombs in their bodies, manhandling one was never the policy of the military.

“We will not tolerate any soldier who manhandles any suspected terrorist, who is unarmed or have surrendered to authorities,” he added.

He said in the military’s rules of engagement, an enemy who had been captured or had surrendered should be treated humanely.

Brawner said soldiers whose faces were shown on the video would be first to be identified and investigated.

“Whoever was there who might have violated human rights will also be investigated,” he said.

While he lamented the incident, Brawner said he believed that the mauling incident was an isolated case.

Earlier, Brawner said the military’s human rights record in the conduct of the battle here remained solid amid charges of misdeeds.