DAVAO CITY—The civil-society organization Save Sulu Movement has urged Malacañang to fully enforce the resolution of the National Police Commission divesting politicians of their direct supervision over the police in the area, as it pointed to the direct link of Asia’s illegal-drugs traders with so-called local narco-politicians in the province.
The group also asked the martial-law administrator to reconsider its earlier pronouncement it was targetting the Abu Sayyaf Group next after winding down its military operation against the Islamic State-linked Maute Group in Marawi City.
“The Napolcom had already issued a resolution cancelling the deputation of identified local chief executives from exercising supervision over the police due to their alleged involvement on the illegal-drugs trade. But why is it these politicians are still behaving and continue to behave like business as usual with police escorts still tailing after them like personal private armies?” the group said.
It said it wanted to know “who is accountable in ensuring Napolcom Resolutions 2017-334 and 2017-335 are fully implemented on the ground and strictly followed by the police,” it said.
The appeal was one of six suggestions the group wanted the government to act upon, which also included three requests on removing or transferring the provincial prosecutor, investigating the failure of the office to convict drug cases and conducting lifestyle checks on court officers and personnel in the province.
Specifically, the six suggestions were:
“Fully enforce Napolcom Resolution 2017-334 and 2017-335, and establish a monitoring mechanism where ordinary citizens can report any violation; suspend the pre-identified local chief executives allegedly involved in the illegal-drugs trade as cited in the Napolcom resolution, prosecute, and put those criminally liable behind bars;
“Remove or transfer the acting and highly controversial provincial prosecutor of Sulu elsewhere and investigate the factors why there is a dismal track record of zero of drug cases in the last 10 years in Sulu; conduct inventory on drug cases and account to the last gram the apprehended illegal substance and drug paraphernalia;
“Investigate the highly suspicious dismissals of drug cases and the release of high-profile drug suspects from jail even without trial; and investigate and conduct lifestyle check on the personnel of the provincial prosecutor’s office, provincial jail, some court personnel in relations to possible protection extended to drug suspects.”
The group’s other appeal to launch now, or earlier, the operation against the Abu Sayyaf was still related to its concern on the proliferation of illegal-drugs trade, and came after President Duterte disclosed anew the transshipment receiving role of the Abu Sayyaf of the illegal-drugs shipment of an Asian syndicate, it said.
“This comes as no surprise for the people of Sulu given the open, overt and uninterrupted operation of illegal-drugs trade in the island-province, which seems to be business as usual despite the highly intensified all-out-campaign against illegal drugs at the national level,” the Save Sulu Movement said.
It said the Abu Sayyaf has not denied its alleged links in the illegal-drugs trade, kidnapping and terrorism activities with the Maute Group, “and the identified narco-politicians.”
It said the pronouncement of Defense Sec. Delfin N. Lorenzana, the designated martial-law administrator, that after Marawi, they will run after the Abu Sayaff Group, “is like cutting the tail of the snake first and then go for the head later. Such approach literally won’t kill the snake and more so, could not hurt the Abu Sayaff Group at all”.
“What comes to the mind of ordinary Tausugs given the pronouncement of the President is: When will these narcopoliticians in Sulu be prosecuted and sent to jail?” it added.
“And if the links as shown in the matrix is already confirmed by no less than the highest official of the land, who holds top-level information from the security sector, police and intelligence community, what is keeping the authorities, therefore, from arresting these people so that they can no longer use their positions to protect the non-state terrorist Abu Sayaff Group?” it said.
The Save Sulu Movement said it was one of the proponents “for the declaration of martial law, specifically in six the municipalities of Sulu: Patikul, Maimbung, Indanan, Parang, Talipao and Kalinggalan Caluan.” The group said it was in these places “where the Abu Sayaff Group operates strongly”.
“Mindanao is now on its fifth month under martial law, but it seems the Abu Sayyaf Group is still much alive and kicking and actively going for the kill as shown in the recent kidnappings of Jolo Municipal Councilor Zed Tan on September 27 and that of a certain Stella on September 28,” it said.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakor Tan earlier brushed aside as a political stunt the posturing of the Save Sulu Movement, pointing at the role in the group of his archenemy, Temojin Tulawie, a civil-rights advocate who Tan sued for attempting to assassinate him in Sulu.
Tulawie was arrested in Davao City in 2012. He was jailed for two years until the court dismissed the charges.
Tan also earlier dared the group to name names on who were directly linked to the Abu Sayyaf.