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Thursday, March 17, 2005
Mayor: Evidence vs deputy mayor weak
* Mayor's opinion came after he was shown transcript of evidence against Tausug deputy mayor
EVIDENCE against Davao City's Tausug deputy mayor Hadji Masil Ahalon will not hold water, said Mayor Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday after this was presented to him by the military.
"The transcript would not hold water. It's weak. Sa prosecutor pa lang di na ito papasa," he said.
Ahalon was arrested by agents of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) along San Pedro Extension and Quezon Boulevard last Saturday for murder charges. He was also suspected of being an Abu Sayyaf member or supporter.
The mayor, however, vouched for Ahalon's integrity saying his deputy mayor may be a supporter of the Abu Sayyaf but he is never a terrorist.
Duterte said Ahalon's's support for Abu Sayyaf group is due to his affinity to Abu Sabaya--Ahalon's sister being Sabaya's wife.
He added he has personally known Ahalon for almost 10 years now and that the deputy mayor's support for the terrorist group is not at all a crime saying that many Muslims in Davao also help the Abu Sayyaf in their own small way.
These small acts cannot be taken against the ordinary Muslims, he said, because there is nothing in the law that prohibits this. Giving aid to enemies of the state only becomes a crime when the country is in a state of war, he said.
Duterte described Ahalon as a very religious and principled man, adding the deputy mayor even admitted to him killing someone in Jolo or Basilan before he came to Davao more than a decade ago.
Duterte advised the deputy mayor to face the charges against him but added that if ever he gets bail he can always come back to Davao City and work for his administration. (BOT)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 17, 2005 issue)
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