MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday approved the filing of complex crime of direct assault with murder against 88 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Private Armed Groups (PAGs) in connection to the January 25 Mamasapano incident which led to the deaths of 44 members of the Special Action Force (SAF) along with international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, also known as Marwan.
In a 55-page resolution, charged for direct assault with murder are five commanders Abdulrahman Abdulrakman Upan, Rakman (118th MILF), Refy Guiaman, Anife and Haumves Alias Haves, Operation Commander of the 105th MILF base command and 83 others.
The DOJ said the respondents conspired with each other to engage and assault the PNP-SAF members who were trapped in a cornfield in Tukanalipao.
The DOJ added that the respondents knew that the SAF members were persons in authority who were in actual performance of their duties.
The respondents were identified by a witness only known by the code name ‘marathon’ who was currently under the government’s witness protection program and 11 others who positively identified the accused.
The witnesses said the 55th Special Action Company (SAC) maintained a defensive perimeter giving the armed men the option to continue the assault or to retreat.
But witnesses said the respondents still continued to fire shots at the SAF troopers despite knowing that they were police officers in a gun battle.
Witnesses said some of the respondents even bragged that the SAF men were no match to their fighting prowess. The troopers, ‘marathon’ said already raised their arms in surrender but the armed men still shot them.
Aside from the murder charges, the respondents are also charged with theft for allegedly stealing the firearms, communications equipment, night vision goggles, cellular phones and other personal belonging of the slain SAF commandos.
But the Doj remanded the theft charges to the national bureau of investigation for further investigation.
