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Hataman asks police to‘re-evaluate’ murder raps |
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:48pm (Mla time) 12/10/2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Anak-Mindanao Representative Mujiv Hataman is asking the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) to “re-evaluate” the murder charges filed against him following a suspect’s withdrawal of his testimony that he was behind the killing of Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar.
Akbar and four other were killed in the Batasan bombing last month.
“Tulad ng lagi kong sinasabi [Like I always say], the truth will always prevail. I am hoping that the CIDG, with this recantation of Jamiri, would re-evaluate the case against me and my brother,” Hataman said in a phone interview on Monday.
“Kung yun [Jamiri’s testimony] ang basis ng CIDG in filing the case against me and my brother, of course malaking bagay ang pag-recant niya para ibasura ang kaso laban sa amin [If that [Jamiri’s testimony] will be the basis of the CIDG in filing the case against me and my brother, of course his recantation will carry weight in deciding to trash the case against us],” he said.
In his sworn affidavit before the Department of Justice, former Tuburan mayor Hajarun Jamiri pointed to Hataman and his older brother, Jim, as the alleged masterminds in the killing of Akbar.
But Jamiri recanted his testimony this Monday, saying he was tortured and forced to implicate Hataman.
Despite Jamiri’s recantation, Hataman said he could not still heave a sigh of relief for fear that the police might come up with other witnesses or affidavits to implicate him.
“Nangangamba pa rin ako na baka gumawa sila ng paraan para ma-implicate ako. Remember, may tatlo pang nakakulong. Pwede rin silang maglabas ng ibang testigo para idawit ako [I am still scared that they might find a way to implicate me. Remember, there are still three others in jail. They can still come out with witnesses to implicate me],” he said.
Hataman said he suspected that the CIDG was after him because he had initiated a congressional inquiry against the group over the raid at the Islamic Information Center in January 2005.
“I don’t know, baka napapraning lang ako pero baka tini-take nilang opportunity ito para gantihan ako dahil kami ni [former] Congressman [Benasing] Macarambon ang lead investigators [maybe I’m just paranoid but they just might be taking the opportunity to get back at me because former Congressman Macarambon and I are the lead investigators]. I’m hoping na hindi ito ang dahilan,” he said.
Hataman pointed out how the CIDG proceeded with the filing of the case against him based merely on Jamiri’s testimony when from the very start, he had offered to cooperate with the police.
“Naging open ako. Nag-volunteer ako sa kanila thinking that in the process of investigation, tatawagan nila ako. Pero based sa testimony lang ni Jamiri, ginawa na nila akong respondent [I was open. I volunteered myself to them thinking that in the process of investigation, they will call me. But based solely on the testimony of Jamiri, they made me a respondent],” he lamented.
Hataman said he would leave it up to his lawyer to decide whether they would take legal actions against the police.
He, however, urged Jamiri’s family to take the necessary steps if indeed it was true that the suspect had been tortured by the police.
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