Marwan killed in BIFF area, not MILF territory —MILF

Suspected terrorist Zulkfli bin Hir alias Marwan was killed in an area controlled by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, an official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front told a Senate inquiry on the Mamasapano clash on Monday.

Rasid Ladiasan, the chairman of the MILF's coordinating committee on the cessation of hostilities, added that the area where Marwan was buried could be considered a civilian community.

“Sa exact location kung saan natagpuan ang body ni Marwan, hindi pa namin na-clear pero yung area kung saan siya napatay, sa area ng BIFF. Kung correct ang aming information, ang katawan niya inilibing sa area ng BIFF,” Ladiasan said. 

“It’s a civilian community.  Hindi masabing haven or area ng anumang grupo dahil ang mga tao e sibilyan,” he said.

Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, asked Ladiasan if the location where alleged Marwan’s body was found was a territory of MILF or of the BIFF.

The MILF has an existing peace agreement with the government. The BIFF is a breakaway group of the MILF.

Finger sent directly to the FBI
 

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said Monday said the alleged severed finger of Marwan was directly sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and no longer passed through the Philippine National Police leadership.

“That sample did not pass through PNP. ‘Yung operatives would be best to know kung kanino nila ibinigay,” Roxas said when asked by acting Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III how the FBI got hold of Marwan’s alleged DNA sample.

The PNP Special Action Force claimed killing Marwan during the operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao which led to the deaths of their 44 troopers. Marwan’s index finger was cut off for DNA testing.

Relieved SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas said he also did not know who sent the finger to FBI but he knew that it was a certain late Senior Police Inspector Tabdi who cut the finger off and passed it to Supt Raymond Train, over-all commander of the assault team.

“Ako mismo nakita ko ung index finger na nakabalot ng isang plastic. Dinala sa 43rd SAF Tactical Command. Makikita natin sa picture niya na patay na siya, kulang na yung finger niya. Pinakita sa akin mismo ni Train na nakabalot na, inilagay sa freezer, mabaho na nga po. Wala akong information kung sino nagbigay sa FBI,” he said.

Director Benjamin Magalong, head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Train told him that the finger was already brought to General Santos where two officers of FBI are waiting to accept it.

“Either Tuesday or Wednesday, sabi sa akin ni Train on the way na yung tao sa GenSan. Dun na tinanggap ng dalawang FBI agents yung specimen, properly received po ito,” he said.

FBI earlier said that the DNA sample sent by the PNP has very high probability that it belongs to Marwan. The DNA sample was matched against those of his brother Rahmat Abdhir, who is currently detained in California for terrorism-related charges