DOJ set to file raps for SAF massacre

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors and National Bureau of Investigation agents are set to file criminal charges against Muslim rebels for the death of police Special Action Force (SAF) commandos during the encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the team was finalizing the complaint against 90 individuals as of yesterday afternoon for filing at the DOJ.

“I’m sure they did overtime work in completing all the needed documents, because they had to reproduce an appropriate number of sets of the transmittal and also all of its attachments,” she told reporters.

De Lima said a press conference would be held at noon today in connection with the filing of the charges.

Sources confirmed that most of the respondents in the case of complex crime of direct assault with murder are commanders and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups involved in the Mamasapano clash where 44 SAF troopers were killed.

Last April, the DOJ team released its fact-finding report recommending the filing of charges against 90 MILF, BIFF and private army members for the cases of 35 slain SAF men who belonged to the 55th SAF company that engaged Muslim fighters in the cornfields of Barangay Tukanalipao.

The cases of the nine other slain commandos from the 84th SAF company in Barangay Pidsandawan as well as the five civilians and 18 MILF fighters who were also killed during the clash would be subject of further investigation by the fact-finding team that was given two more months to complete the probe.