4 Maute terror suspects face rebellion raps

MANILA, Philippines - Four suspected members of the Maute terror group intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City last Monday while trying to leave for Malaysia would face rebellion charges once their links with the terrorists have been fully established, the military said yesterday.

Three of the four are currently undergoing further interrogation at the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), while the other suspect is under the custody of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) prior to the filing of rebellion charges against them.

Sources said that Ashary Palawan Maute, Yasser Dumaraya Maute and Abdulraham Maute are under CIDG custody in Camp Crame, Quezon City while Alnizar Palawan Maute is detained at the NBI.

“There’s one who is now under the custody of the NBI as it has been established that he is included in the Arrest Order No. 2, while the three others are still undergoing further questioning at the PNP-CIDG,” said Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman. 

Padilla, without identifying the four currently under government custody, said that investigators are now in the process of establishing the specific involvement of the suspects with the Maute terrorists.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the NAIA Terminal 3 initially stopped seven suspected Maute group members from boarding their Malaysia-bound flight at NAIA based on travel watch lists of the bureau the other day.

They were scheduled to board Cebu Pacific flight 5J 499 bound for Malaysia at 2:45 p.m. yesterday.

Three other Maute relatives – Abdulchahar Maute, Cota and Acmali Mawiyag – were also held at the airport but later allowed to leave.

BI and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) officials have cleared another Saudi Arabia-bound Maute identified as Aziz Maute after authorities found out that he is an overseas Filipino worker in Riyadh and employed as a cleaner and is not involved in terrorist activities in Marawi. 

Aziz Maute was scheduled to board Philippine Airlines flight PR 654 bound for Riyadh at noon.

Authorities said Ashary, Yasser, Abdulraham and Alnizar Maute have derogatory records in the ISAFP.