4 Moros face charges

Police filed yesterday large-scale estafa charges against four Moros who gypped of thousands of pesos some 80 compatriots in Mindanao for non-existing jobs in the military.

This developed as military and police intelligence agencies are verifying reports in Mindanao that the 80 young Moros who are in Metro Manila were actually recruited to help detained former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari escape from his detention cell in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Charged in the Manila Prosecutor’s Office were Tro Mohamad, 31; Dima Mamalac, 38; Kage Miriam Mad, 37; and Amer Buisan y Mutilan alias Lt. Mutilan.

The four were charged due to the complaints filed by Eddie Alimau, 32; Aluidin Almata, 34; Naser Gumenggen, 20; Norodin Talipasan, 25; Omar Galmak, 20; Sammy Pendatum, 20; and Antonio Piang, 49.

The complainants told Superintendent Bayani de la Rea, head of the Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) that they paid the suspects sums of P30,000 to P70,000 for their integration into the military.

However, the deadline given them by Buisan for their training in Tanay, Rizal lapsed and the suspects refused to entertain them anymore. A check with the military also showed that there is no quota for the recruitment of former MNLF members into the military.

De la Rea said the four suspects were arrested by joint operatives of RISOO and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) in separate operations last week in Intramuros and Quiapo, Manila. — Non Alquitran