Sunday, August 12, 2007 Gov’t to study formal statement of suspect in beheading of Marines
JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said the panel of prosecutors will first evaluate the sworn testimony of self-confessed Abu Sayaff member Jon Jamiri alias Buhari who was involved in the July 10 ambush of a Philippine Marines troop in Basilan that resulted in the death of 14 personnel, 10 of whom were beheaded.
Jamiri, who personally surrendered to joint operatives of the Philippine Navy (PN), Military Intelligence Group Region 9 (MIG-9) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-National Capital Region (NCR) in Lamitan, Basilan, offered to turn state witness saying he was not among those who beheaded the soldiers.
But Gonzalez said Jamiri, 34, a resident of Barangay Bohe Bessey, Tuburan, Basilan, will still have to be charged for murder before he could be discharged to be a government witness.
"He has to undergo tactical investigation. He is a very valuable person because he is a self-confessed member of the Abu Sayyaf which ambushed the Marines, but his testimony has to be evaluated," said Gonzalez.
He said it would work in Jamiri's favor if it was true that he was not among those involved in the beheading of 10 Marines. However, Jamiri would still be liable for the charge of multiple murder, considering his admission that he was part of the team that ambushed the soldiers.
NBI-NCR Director Ruel Lasala said Jamiri's surrender was facilitated by GMA Channel 7 reporter Jiggy Manicad who met him last Wednesday in Barangay Lagayas, Tipo-tipo, Basilan. From Zamboanga, Jamiri was brought to Manila at 9 p.m. on Thursday and brought to the NBI main office on Taft Avenue, Manila on Friday.
Lasala said Jamiri will remain under the custody of the NBI-NCR unless a court order is issued for his transfer to another detention cell.
In his statement, Jamiri claimed that during the casual conversation with the group of Abu Sayaff Group, leader Omair Indama confided to him that he beheaded four of the slain Marines while Atting Indama confided that he also cut the finger of a slain Marines to get the latter's ring.
Civilian Suaib Kalibun also admitted that he cut/slashed the abdomen and stomach of one of the slain Marines as an act of revenge to the death of Panjang Kasim, his cousin, who was killed by elements of Philippine Marines sometime in May 2007.
Lasala said Jamiri surrendered to clarify what transpired during the ambuscade, and deny any participation in the beheading.
Jamiri said after he was suspected as one of those responsible to the killing of then Tuburan Mayor Jain Pawaki in Lamitan, Basilan, sometime in 1991, he went into hiding in Tipo-tipo in Lamitan, Basilan with his nephew Nurhassan Jamirie, an Abu Sayyaf leader operating in the area.
He however denied any participation in the killing of Pawaki and pinpointed his nephew Hassan Jamiri Adalal and Tawasil Sabatal as the perpetrators. Since then, he goes with the group of Nurhassan Jamirie to evade arrest from the government authorities.
Last July 25, Gonzalez has ordered a panel of prosecutors to look into the criminal culpability of two leaders and about 500 members of the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who were allegedly behind the attack.
The Marines were conducting reconnaissance surveillance in the area in pursuit of the abductors of Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi when they were ambushed. Of the 14 officers who were killed, 10 of them were beheaded and mutilated, while those who survived were seriously wounded.
In a letter to Gonzalez dated July 20, Sabban recommended the filing of charges of 14 counts if murder, 12 counts of frustrated murder and 133 counts attempted murder against MILF commander Hassan Ansami alias Luksaw and Suhud Limaya alias Hud along with some 500 unidentified armed followers identified with the rebel group.
Sabban expressed apprehension that the lone prosecutor assigned in Basilan might be intimidated by the suspects as they wield influence in the area. He pointed out that the respondents have no specific addresses and are armed and dangerous thus any subpoena that will be served may not be possible.
"We do not question the competence and integrity of the prosecutor of the DOJ in the area, nonetheless it would be safer if a prosecutor from the DOJ or nearest to the province of Basilan (will be assigned to the case) so we can be assured of the impartiality of the proceedings," he said. (ECV/Sunnex)
