Moklis wants arrest warrant recalled

The principal suspect in the Rizal Day bombing of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) coach in 2000 asked the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) yesterday to recall the warrant of arrest issued against him after the case was ordered transferred to a family court.

Judge Lucia Purugganan of RTC Branch 54 ordered that the multiple murder, multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder charges against Hadji Yunos Moklis, alias Saifullah Yunos, be transferred to a family court since there were victims who were minors.

"Considering that there were minor victims (in the blast)...this case should be heard and decided by a Family Court, which has exclusive original jurisdiction over the case," said Purugganan in a one-page order dated Jan. 12.

State prosecutor Peter Ong told the court there were 15 minor victims in the bombing.

With the order, the scheduled arraignment of Moklis in connection with the LRT bombing did not push through.

Moklis’ lawyer Fidel Macauyag also used Purugganan’s order to ask the court to conduct a re-investigation of the case.

Macauyag argued that the transfer of the case to another court is considered as withdrawal of information against Moklis.

He added that the government did not allow Moklis to defend himself and present evidence to disprove the accusation against him.

Aside from Moklis, those charged for the LRT bombing were Colonel Efren Torres, Sammy Arinday, Alim Solaiman, Abubakar Faiz, Isamuddin Riduan, alias Hambali, Zainal Paks, Salman Moro, Ustad Said, Mohamad Amir and Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi.

Except for Al-Ghozi, who died in a shootout, all the other suspects remain at large.