Activist, Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie, president of the Bawgbug, Inc, files a case against Sen. Leila De Lima and Sulu Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan Friday, Nov. 18 before the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao for allegedly aiding terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
Temogen “Cocoy” Tulawie and another complainant who requested anonimity brought documents and complaint affidavits against the government officials and lawyers Wendell F. Sotto and Mehol K. Sandain, and Edilwasif Baddiri at the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao here Friday morning.
The complainants charged the respondents for violating Republic Act 10168, an act defining the crime of financing terrorism and dishonesty, neglect of duty, among others.
The two complainants were charged with criminal cases after the bombing incident involving then Sulu governor Tan and companions in Patikul, Sulu on May 13, 2009. They were detained from 2012 to 2013.
A copy of their joint affidavits said the complainant who refused to be named personally witnessed how the respondents entered into “shadowy dealings with the ASG for the purpose of producing witnesses” against Tulawie in the pending criminal cases against them before the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 of Manila.
“As a matter of fact, Complainant Tahil had been privy to the communications among the ASG inmates namely Sali Said, Mujibar ‘Bong’ Amon, Robin Sahiyal and Julhamad Ahadi who revealed to me that they were offered to be released by Gov. Tan on the condition that they testify against Cocoy Tulawie,” the affidavit reads.
He said he was approached by Said and Mujibar in April 2012 to join them in testifying against Tulawie.
He said he was told by Said that if he cooperates, Tan will release him from prison.
The complainants also said that then Justice Secretary De Lima and Sadain who heads the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos knew that the four were “terrorists and high-valued members” of the ASG but the officials “made it appear on official records” that they were wrongly arrested due to mistaken identity.
The complainants said that Tan and Sotto connived with Sadain and Baddiri, who was then Commissioner-in-Charge of the Bureau of Legal Affairs of the NCMF to insert the names of the four alleged ASG members on the list of innocent Muslims wrongly arrested due to mistaken identity.
They said Sotto, who was the lawyer of Tan, went to the Special Intensive Care Area of Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City in 2012 to allegedly offer the four ASG inmates freedom on the condition that they will give false testimony against Tulawie.
They added that Sotto previously wrote a letter to SICA Jail Warden Senior Inspector Bernardino Edgar Camus to endorse the transfer the case filed by Tan against Tulawie, which was then pending before RTC Branch 11 in Davao City, to “any trial court in Metro Manila” citing security risks of witnesses Said, Amon, Sahiyal and Ahadi who are allegedly ASG members.
“As natives of Sulu who are directly exposed to the violence and acts of terrorism of the ASG, we took it upon ourselves to file this Complaint in order to expose and dismantle the machinery that protects the ASG,” the two said.
Motivation
Since he was detained for more than three years, Tulawie said he was not able to file the case. But was pushed to file after the bombing incident in Davao City Roxas night market last Sept. 2. Tulawie, now President of human rights -group Bawgbug, Inc. was released on July 20 last year.
He said they filed the case to help the fight against terrorism.
“This will be our biggest contribution to expose and dismantle the machinery that is helping terrorists,” Tulawie added.(davaotoday.com)
