Raps filed against 114 MNLF members

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - At least 114 members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Misuari-faction, including its leader Ustadz Habier Malik have been charged with cases of murder, arson and rebellion under the Revised Penal Code and in violation of the humanitarian law, genocide and other crimes against humanity, a senior official of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said.

CIDG Police Director Francisco Uyami, Jr. said the latest case of violation of revised penal code and violation of the Republic Act 9851 or the Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity was filed against the third batch of 57 MNLF members.

He said it included those 23 MNLF members who surrendered with city police director Sr. Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo the other week.

He said the CIDG started the filing last Sept. 20 against the first batch of 25 members and followed with another batch of 22 MNLF members last Sept. 22. 

Uyami said they have filed charges against 114 MNLF who were captured and surrendered to the police and the government forces.

“The operation is ongoing and we are expecting there could be more who were bee either captured or surrender in the ground,” Uyami added.

The CIDG disclosed that the MNLF Misuari-faction have deployed minors in the siege it staged in Sta. Catalina and Sta. Barbara areas.

Two of those captured suspects were positively identified as minors. They were Almin Aukasa, 17, and Benhar Idarus, 14 years old. Both were positive in the paraffin test to have participated in the engagement against the government forces.

The two suspects were turned over to the custody of the Social Welfare Office since they were minors.

Uyami also disclosed that one of those captured or surrendered was positive of having used methampetamine hydrochloride or shabu. 

The CIDG also presented 142 high-powered firearms, including a .50 caliber machine gun, barrett sniper rifle, mortar tube, .30 caliber machine gun, M16 rifles, AK 47, M14 sniper rifles, M4 rifles and several handguns. 

Sr. Supt. Nicandro Canaleja, CIDG deputy director for operation, said all the recovered firearms were subjected to etching and ballistic test to determine and trace the owners of the firearms

Some of the firearms displayed bore serial numbers indicating government property. But investigators believed the guns could be part of those missing firearms recovered by the rebels in the previous encounters.