Kaban ni D_BystandeR: LIG-ON ANG BARUGANAN SA GOBYERNO SA PAGTARAL SA HUKMANAN SA GRUPO NI KIRAM

The Aquino administration appears hell-bent on prosecuting 38 alleged members of the Royal army of the Sultan of Sulu who were aboard a boat heading for Tawi-Tawi when intercepted by a Philippine Navy vessel.  Justice Secretary Leila de Lima insisted on throwing the book at the 38 individuals as she ordered a reinvestigation of their cases.  "It's (reinvestigation) only a remedy provided or available to respondents. Since they were indicted through inquest, it's just natural to seek a full-blown preliminary investigation. It's not an indication that the case filed was weak," she told reporters in interview Tuesday. 

 De Lima said they would abide by the court order. She said she would create a panel of prosecutors that will conduct the investigation inDOJ on charges of illegal possession of firearms andviolations of election gun ban and article 118 of Revised Penal Code (RPC) or inciting to war.  De Lima said the 38 individuals, in the meantime, would remain in detention at a naval facility in Panglima Sugala pending decision of the regional trial court (RTC) on their motion for reduction of bail.  Chief public attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta, chief counsel of the indigent accused, said the court had originally set a bail of P164,000 for each of the accused covering all three charges, or a total of 6.2 million.  "We asked the court to reduce it to up to P9,000 each or a total of P342,000 for all 38 accused because of their extreme poverty," she explained.  In the hearing last Monday, RTC Judge Peter Esma opted to first get comment from the DOJ before deciding on that motion. The DOJ was given five days to comply with the order.  The 38 were intercepted in three separate incidents by the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard off the seas of Tawi-Tawi and are now detained at a naval facility in Panglima Sugala. It was the first batch of members of the royal guard of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III to face charges in the country following their incursion in Sabah over the Sultanate's territorial claim.  Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, meanwhile, expressed doubts that the 38 followers of the Sulu sultanate, who were intercepted earlier by government forces in Tawi-Tawi from Sabah, would be turned over to Malaysia.  "We cannot just turn them over, we don't have (an) extradition treaty with them." said Gazmin, during an interview in Camp Aguinaldo. The 38 followers of Raja Muda Agbimmu-din Kiram fled Sabah at the height of skirmishes between members of the Royal Security Fore (RSF) of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu and the Malaysian forces two weeks ago. They were intercepted by the Philippine Navy in Tawi-Tawi. Initially, the 38, including leaders of the RSF, were charged with illegal possession of firearms after yielding  various guns when they were arrested.  "You cannot just turn them over, it should be a mutually agreed arrangement with their (Malaysian) government. Of course, Malaysian laws will be upheld in their area. On our part, we would also apply our own laws," said Gazmin.  So far, Gazmin said that he has not heard of any request from Malaysia to get custody of the 38 arrested followers of Agbimmudin. Pressed what if Malaysian government asked for the turnover of the 38, Gazmin replied, "I really do not know. That is up to our legal department, that's beyond my competency."  Malaysia has already charged eight members of the RSF with terrorist acts and waging war against Malaysia.  Gazmin also noted reports saying that Raja Muda Agbimmudin Kiram is actually a Malaysian. He, however, stressed that initial efforts by the government to check on the reports yielded "inconclusive" results.  "Well, since he is a Malaysian, so Malaysian laws will apply to him while he is there," said Gazmin.  Asked if the Philippine government is checking on Agbimmudin's nationality, Gazmin replied "I cannot give you a definite answer on that, maybe we are but we have not found any conclusive answer yet."  Agbimmudin led more than 200 followers of the Sulu sultanate in their "homecoming" to Sabah last Feb. 9 to revive claims over the disputed territory. 

Three days later, a standoff  erupted that led to an armed confrontation between the RSF and Malaysian forces.  Last March 1, Malaysian security forces launched full-scale military operations against the group of Agbimmudin. So far, the conflict resulted in the killing of 64 Filipino-Tausugs and 10 Malaysian troops.

(Bug-os ang  pasalamat sa KAHAYAG ngadto sa magtatampo niining taho nga gikutlo  sa pamantalaan nga The Daily Tribune,   nga si JOHNNY LOVE. Nagtakuban siya sa pangalan, "D_BystandeR".  Natawo siya sa Sugbo apan anaa na karon manimuyo sa Illinois sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika. Ang kusog nga koneksyon sa kasayuran pinaagi sa internet kanunayng naghaling sa iyang kadasig  pagtuki sa mga nagbukalbukal nga hisgutanan dinhi sa atong nataran. Usa siya ka magsusulat nga gradwado sa kursong komersiyo padulong sa pagka accountant sa University of San Carlos kaniadtong tuig 1961.  Nahimo siyang miyembro sa usa ka hugpong sa mga batan-ong magsusulat nga gitawag ug STUDENT PRESS.  Nahimo usab siyang   Associate Editor sa basahon  USC-JPIAN sa tuig 1962-63. Magtatampo usab siya isip magsusulat sa nasudnong magasin,  "Philippines Free Press" ug sa mga nag-unang peryodiko dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo sa lunhaw pa ang iyang pangedaron. Nahimo siyang mamumuo sa usa ka pribadong kompaniya sa dakbayan sa Sugbo, ESCANO LINES, sulod sa napulo ug duha (12) ka tuig  dayon niyang tapon  ngadto sa NAPOCOR  ug nahimong kawani sa kagamhanan  sulod sa bayente dos (22) ka tuig. Niadtong tunga-tungang bahin sa tuig 2000, nilalin siya ngadto sa tinipong nasod sa Amerika ug sulod sa napulo (10) ka tuig, nagtrabaho siya sa  buhatan sa kagamhanan sa nasod sama  sa  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS).  Karon sa pangedaron nga 68,  gihuptan gihapon niya ang walay pagkutat nga kadasig ug walay busganan nga kaikag sa pagpaambit sa iyang nahuptang abilidad  ug kabatid sa panulat.  Dili niya mapugngan ang kaugalingon sa pagpaambit sa iyang mga hunahuna labi na kon molambigit kini ug hisgotanan nga makadani sa iyang mga mata.)


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