DOJ to reinvestigate 2002 kidnap-slay case vs Sayyaf

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) will reinvestigate the cases against alleged members of Abu Sayyaf for the kidnapping of six members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses Church and killing of two of them in Patikul, Sulu over 10 years ago.

Judge Toribio Ilao Jr. of the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 266 ordered the reinvestigation upon the request of some of the accused who claimed to be “fall guys“ presented by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The lower court issued the order pending trial of the cases against the suspected bandits, who are currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

The DOJ panel chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong will conduct the hearing at 10 a.m. today. The arresting military officers have been summoned to the hearing.

Some of the accused claimed they were randomly arrested by military officers based on erroneous intelligence data.

Records showed that the victims – four females and two males – were doing door-to-door sale of cosmetic products in August 2002 when the Abu Sayyaf bandits seized them in Patikul.

The bandits beheaded the two male hostages, whose bodies were found in a market in Jolo a day after they were kidnapped.

The fatalities were identified as Lemuel Bantolo and Leonel Mantic. Authorities said Mantic’s wife was one of the two captives.

The rest of the hostages were rescued after weeks of military operations against the Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu.

Last Nov. 25, joint military and police operatives arrested in Zamboanga City another suspected Abu Sayyaf bandit involved in the 2002 kidnapping, based on the report of the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division.

Walid Amping alias Tuma has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Pasig court and another murder case filed before a Zamboanga City RTC.