December 21, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — After nearly a decade of legal proceedings, two commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were convicted in connection with the 2015 Mamasapano massacre, in which 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) were killed.
On Dec. 16, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153 handed down its decision, convicting MILF commanders Abubakar Guiaman (alias Commander Refy) and Mohammad Ali Tambako for 35 counts of homicide.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the court lowered the charge from direct assault with murder to homicide.
“This penalty imposes eight years and one day of prision mayor as minimum, to 14 years, eight months and one day of reclusion temporal, as maximum for each count,” it stated.
The charges arose from the events of Jan. 25, 2015, when 44 police commandos were killed in a clash with lawless groups in Mamasapano while attempting to capture terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, known as Marwan, and Basit Usman. The PNP-SAF troopers had entered an MILF stronghold as part of Oplan Exodus.
Although Marwan, a Malaysian terrorist and bomb-maker with links to Jemaah Islamiyah, was killed during the operation, Usman, a senior leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, was not found during the incident.
The operation also resulted in the deaths of 18 MILF fighters and seven civilians.
Despite numerous challenges and delays, the DOJ pursued justice for the slain officers, known as the SAF 44.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla praised the DOJ’s efforts, emphasizing the resilience shown throughout the long legal battle.
“This court victory is the fruit of the DOJ’s hard work and resilience in the face of adversity through the years, never backing down against injustice to uphold the rule of law. To my fellow Filipinos, we have won,” he said.
The DOJ also commended the state lawyers who played a role in securing the conviction, including Deputy State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez, Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Rex Gingoyon, Anna Devanadera, Amanda Felipe and Susan Azarcon, along with former assistant state prosecutor Claire Pagayanan, now a judge at the Cebu City RTC.
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