August 29, 2007, Inquirer, Marines hit for haste in getting Basilan beheading warrants,

August 29, 2007, Inquirer, Marines hit for haste in getting Basilan beheading warrants,
05:33:00

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- A Basilan police officer said the military apparently took a short cut in securing arrest warrants against 127 persons suspected of beheading 10 Marine soldiers in Al-Barka town on July 10.

Senior Supt. Salik Macapantar, the Basilan police chief, said the Philippine National Police was "now obliged to explain why even the names of those already dead or those who are really innocent were included in the list."

He said that based on the PNP's initial investigation, only eight people were actually involved in the Al-Barka beheadings but the Marines later submitted eight more names, to make 16.

And while they were conducting further investigation, Macapantar said the Marines had secured more warrants for a total of 127 suspects.

Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay said he was surprised when Ustadz Ameer Usman Mangkabong, a Lamitan spiritual leader, turned up as a suspect.

"An Ameer is equivalent to a bishop and I can vouch for his innocence," Furigay said.

Macapantar said the latest investigation showed that there are only 16 probable suspects in the Al-Barka beheadings. Two have been killed while another suspect has surrendered.

"So our list now contains 13 names," he said.

Meanwhile, as the military resumed offensive operations against the Abu Sayyaf extremist group in Basilan and Sulu, human rights advocates expressed concern that more innocent civilians would be mistaken for Abu Sayyaf extremists.

Lawyer Ulka Ulama cited several cases of mistaken identity that have caused much distress to some Tausug families.

Last Aug. 19, Ulama said soldiers raided the house of the Isnirani family in the village of Tantung, Indanan and arrested three family members.

Ulama said the human rights abuses of the military could be attributed to the fact that residents rarely complain.

Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, chief of the joint special operations command, has consistently denied his troops were abusing the rights of civilians.

"It will not help us if we do that," he said.

Meanwhile, the military yesterday said government forces have shelled an Abu Sayyaf stronghold in Basilan in preparation for an offensive.

Mortar fire started Monday on a suspected Abu Sayyaf hideout in the jungles of Basilan, said spokesperson Capt. Niel Estrella.

"It's part of our offensive, to soften the target defense. This is to support our ground troops" massed around the al-Qaida linked group, he said by telephone. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao, and Agence France-Presse