Justice department drops rebellion charges against 59 suspected Maute recruits

September 1, 2017

The Department of Justice has dismissed rebellion charges against 59 suspected recruits of the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City and were arrested in Zamboanga City last July.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday said the panel of prosecutors headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong with prosecutors Sonny Ocampo and Aris Reyes as members issued a resolution dropping the charges filed by the military against 59 respondents for lack of probable cause.

“The DOJ will not be a part of any injustice. If in the assessment of our Panel of Prosecutors there is no basis to charge a person in court, such a finding should be respected,” Aguirre said in a statement.

Aguirre said the 59 suspects have been ordered released by the prosecutors.

“They did not find the military witness as credible,” Aguirre said.

Of the 59 respondents, 32 men were arrested at a checkpoint in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay while the remaining 27, of which four were minors, were arrested along Daisy Road in Guiwan, Zamboanga City. They were all arrested last July 25.

Authorities seized from the suspects military uniforms, boots and Moro National Liberation Front identification cards.

Last Aug. 14, the respondents submitted their counter-affidavit, claiming that they were recruited to join the MNLF and promised a P30,000 monthly salary and will become a military integree. They accused MNLF member Nur Supian as their recruiter.  DMS