Group, family challenge police's claim vs nabbed Abu suspect

ZAMBOANBGA CITY - A Muslim human rights group on Monday called on the authorities to surface a suspected Abu Sayyaf Group member arrested last week from his house in Basilan province.

The group called Kawagib and family of the suspect identified as Muin Kahal Hamja claimed that the suspect was just a mere fisherman and a farmer and had no ties with the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

Jermalyn Abtahe Hamja, wife of the suspect, said in a statement that the authorities seized her husband during a pre-dawn operation last January 24 from their residence at Barangay Kumalarang, Isabela City, Basilan province.

Jermalyn said that the authorities hid her husband for two days before announcing his arrest.

The Basilan provincial police office (PPO) had said that members of the 5th Special Action Force Battalion (SAB) and Regional Investigation and Intelligence Division (RIID) arrested Hamja by virture of a warrant of arrest issued by the Isabela City regional trial court based on five counts of kidnapping cases.

The Basilan PPO said that after the arrest, Hamja was brought to their headquarters in Lamitan City before he was transferred to the regional police office based in Zamboanga City.

The police reported that Hamja carries a P600,000.00 reward on his head.

The Kawagib, assisting Hamja’s family, challenged the police authorities to show proof that Muin is a a mid-level leader and member of the Abu Sayyaf group.

The group condemned the arrest and charged the authorities of cashing in on the reward system by allegedly rehashing on the case of Hamja, who was arrested three times already, including the recent arrest.

Muin was also taken by the authorities during the 2001 crackdown against the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan, but was freed for lack of evidence. He was also arrested in 2004 on the same suspicioon, but he was again freed and given a safe conduct pass by the military.

Hamja’s brother Muhammadiya was also arrested in 2001 on similar charges. He was arrested against in 2005 and in 2008.

The Kawagib and the Hamja family said that they will ask the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Justice to look into Muin's case.