MANILA, Philippines – A trial court convicted two commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guilty for their roles in the 2015 Mamasapano clash, which killed dozens of Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) troopers in the now-defunct Maguindanao province.
In a decision on Monday, December 16, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153 found Abubakar Guiaman, also known as Commander Refy, and Mohammad Ali Tambako, guilty of 35 counts of homicide.
Each count carries a jail sentence of up to 14 years, eight months, and a day, although the conviction is a lighter punishment than the original charge of direct assault with murder.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) still welcomed the ruling, which it said is the result of its unwavering effort to actively prosecute.
“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,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said.
The clash — considered among the darkest days in the history of the PNP — killed 44 elite cops, 18 MILF members, and three civilians.
While 45 SAF troopers were killed, the complaint filed by the government covered only the 35 SAF members who were the “blocking force” of the operation. As per then-justice secretary Leila de Lima, nine troopers from the SAF’s 84th Seaborne Company who were killed were not included because they were unable to find a credible witness.
The shootout sought to capture two high-profile bomb makers — Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir (alias “Marwan”) and Filipino Abdul Basit Usman — but the botched operation resulted in a deadly encounter. Marwan was killed in the raid, while Usman was killed in a firefight in May that year. – Rappler.com