Janjalani arraignment deferred

The arraignment of the younger brother of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, accused of 11 counts of kidnapping, was deferred yesterday after his lawyer failed to show up at the court proceedings at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

Hector Janjalani, who was escorted by heavily armed policemen, appeared before Judge Leili Acebo, of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 163, at 8:30 a.m. yesterday.

Acebo, citing security reasons, held the arraignment of the case at the compound housing the office of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO).

The younger Janjalani was among the 125 Abu Sayyaf bandits charged with 11 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention by the government.

Lawyer Fidel Mauyag, who represented the younger Janjalani explained that he received the court summons late in the afternoon Tuesday and requested that the arraignment be postponed to a later date.

Acebo rescheduled the arraignment on Dec. 6.

Janjalani was arrested early this year while trying to sell a videotape of kidnapped American Jeffrey Schilling, held captive by the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

His 125 co-accused Abu Sayyaf terrorists were arrested during simultaneous operations launched by the police and military against the Muslim bandits’ hideouts in Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu provinces.

Included in the charge sheet were the elder Janjalani and Aldam Tilao, also known as Abu Sabaya, the Abu Sayyaf spokesman, who remains at large. Only 48 of the accused are in the government’s custody.

"An ex-officio lawyer was present during the scheduled arraignment but Mauyag opted for it to be reset," said lawyer Orven Ontalan, Acebo’s clerk of court. "But we are hoping that the military could transfer all of them here for their arraignment to push through." Only the younger Janjalani was flown to Metro Manila while the remaining accused are still in Zamboanga City.

The case was previously handled by a Basilan court but due to security reasons, government prosecutors requested for a transfer of venue to Zamboanga City, but the case was transferred to Metro Manila after Zamboanga residents protested. The Pasig court received the case on Oct. 19 and it was raffled off to Acebo’s chamber on Oct. 22 — Non Alquitran