Recruiter during Marawi siege convicted for terrorism

MANILA, Philippines — A Taguig court on Tuesday convicted Nur Supian, who was accused of recruiting members to reinforce the Maute group during the siege of Marawi City, for terrorism.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 70 found Supian guilty of terrorism. The court “meted a penalty of 40 years of imprisonment,” Guevarra added.

The court also found Araji Samindih and Umad Harun guilty of the same charge. The two were sentenced to imprisonment for from 8 years and a day to 14 years, 8 months and a day.

Witnesses: Supian recruited members for training at Camp Jabal Nur

Guevarra said that Supian is the first to be convicted in violation of the Human Security Act of 2007 or the Anti-Terrorism Law.

According to the decision penned by President Judge Felix Reyes, the prosecution presented Sgt. Johnson Malavega as its witness. He said that his team was deployed to Mindanao to conduct operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless armed groups, including the Maute group.

Malavega narrated that they received information of massive recruitment among locals “to join an armed group, who falsely misrepresented themselves as the Moro National Liberation Front.” Newly recruited members were promised a gun and a monthly salary.

Those who identified themselves as the MNLF were undergoing military training at Camp Jabal Nur or Tiger Base.

The witness said that he posed as one of the recruits and met Supian who introduced himself as an MNLF Commander.

But the Court noted that MNLF denied that Camp Jabal Nur or Tiger Base as theirs. The group also said that Supian is not their member.

Lt. Dennis Bautista, meanwhile, testified that they received a validated intelligence report on a group training in an area in Kalingalan Caluang, Sulu. Supian was pointed to as the leader of the rebel group.    

Bautista is assigned at Marine Battalion Landing Team 3.

Human Security Act of 2007

In weighing the case, the Court held: “The prosecution witnesses clearly established that accused Supian was responsible for putting up Camp Jabal Nur or Tiger Base in Barangay Pang, Kalingalan Caluang, Sulu, where local armed men underwent military trainings.”

“After proving the established plan of accused Supian, there is no doubt that his acts sowed and created a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand,” the ruling read.

The Taguig court convicted found Supian “guilty beyond reasonable dount of the crime of terrorism under Section 3 of RA 9372, otherwise known as the Human Security Act of 2007, for his acts of Rebellion committed under Article 134 of the Revised Penal Code.”

Section 3 of RA 9372 provides acts punishable under Revised Penal Code provisions including Article 134 or Rebellion.

Guevarra noted that Supian is the first to be convicted for violation of the Human Security Act.