Zamboanga City
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazer has rejected the proposed plea bargaining
of 235 members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) accused of
rebellion and violation of international humanitarian law, in relation to the
2013 Zamboanga siege.
In a press
statement on Thursday, Climaco said some of the accused MNLF members are
proposing to plead guilty for a lesser crime of sedition, which entails a
penalty of only 6 years imprisonment.
Some 145 accused
also want to plead guilty for lesser crimes of illegal assembly and illegal use
of uniform, which carry a penalty of one month to six months imprisonment, or six
years imprisonment, if the accused were armed at the time of the crime.
Climaco said the
rebellion case and violation of international humanitarian law carry a heavier
penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.
She added that
the proposed plea bargaining is not commensurate to the deaths of policemen,
soldiers, and civilians during the three-week crisis, which affected thousands
of families.
City officials
are now studying legal options and remedies, with the help of top lawyers of
the City Legal Office, the Department of Justice, and the city council.
Climaco said she
also wants to consult the families of the victims of the siege to get their
inputs and opinions on the proposed plea bargaining of the accused MNLF
members.
The official
assured her constituents that justice will be served to the families of victims
and to those who were displaced by the bloody three-week conflict.
MNLF chairman Nur
Misuari and some MNLF commanders, including Habier Malik, are among accused in
the Zamboanga siege.
They are among
seven who are still at large and are subject for arrest.
The arraignment
and pre-trial of the case will be done at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court,
while testimonies of the witnesses will be received in a separate court in Zamboanga City
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/04/23/15/zamboanga-mayor-rejects-mnlf-plea-bargain
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