The Department of Justice (DOJ) hopes to release within the week the resolution on criminal complaint against the arrested Spanish national suspected to be a terrorist after he was caught with a backpack of improvised explosive devices (IED) in Basilan.
Spanish national Abdelhakim Labidi Adib, rights, listens as State Prosecutor Peter Ong, left, talks during proceedings at the Department of Justice in Manila, Philippines, Wednesday Jan. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila/Manila Bulletin)
“It might come out this week,” said Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong who handles the case of Spaniard Abdelhakim Labidi Adib, 20.
Ong conducted the preliminary investigation of Adib who is facing a criminal complaint filed by the Philippine Army (PA) for illegal possession of explosives.
Adib was arrested in the evening of January 22 by members of the PA at a checkpoint in Maluso, Basilan, an area infested with Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
Though Adib’s companion who is believed to be a member of the Abu Sayyaf managed to escape, the military recovered the backpack the Spaniard threw away and found inside cash, rifle grenade, blasting caps and detonation devices.
In his counter-affidavit, Adib refuted the allegations against him as he claimed the evidence against him was “planted by the arresting officer because I never have those items in my bag nor in my possession.”
“I vehemently deny and assert that I don’t own and I have nothing to do with the alleged recovered evidence which were the hand grenade and the alleged Improvised Explosive Device (IED),” he stated.
He claimed he only saw the backpack containing the IEDs during the inquest proceedings held at the DOJ in Manila on January 24.
He also denied being a sympathizer and supporter of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and that this is “a baseless accusation and must not be taken into account.”
“I went here in the Philippines as a tourist. I have no intention whatever to aid anyone in any terrorist activity especially in causing trouble to the community,” said Adib who claimed he and his parents are atheists and do not believe in god nor practice any religion.
The Spaniard also said his companion was also captured and that they were arrested on January 20 by armed men in civilian clothes and riding a white car in an area where there was no checkpoint.
“My companion never escaped and both of us were brought to the military, however, it was only me who is being charged,” he complained.
In his counter-affidavit, Adib claimed that, after reading good reviews and feedbacks, it became his dream to go to the Philippines to have “a great adventure and to travel to a faraway country” as well as “to find a good woman.”
In his travels to the Philippines, he recalled that during his stay in Cagayan de Oro City, he met in the street a man named Abuzaid who invited him to visit the latter’s tribe, the Yakan.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/07/doj-readies-raps-vs-suspected-spanish-terrorist/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.