This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 41, November
20-26, 2005
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Muslim Wrongly Identified as Abu Tagalog, Tortured Oct.
29 was a hard day for Muslim Filipinos. It was the same day newspapers carried
the story of three Muslim suspects in the Valentine’s Day bus bombing being
sentenced to death; when a certain Lalong Parad, a suspected Abu Sayyaf member,
was shot dead in Jolo; and when Amil Salih Flamiano, 27, was arrested and
identified by the police as Abu Tagalog, who was allegedly involved in the
Sipadan hostage taking. Flaminiano was hit with rifle butts, handcuffed and
poked with guns. Later, it would turn out to be a case of mistaken identity.
By Arthur L. Allad-iw BAGUIO CITY– A high ranking
official of the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) in Northern Luzon demanded for a
public apology from the Philippine National Police for the wrongful arrest of
Amil Salih Flamiano, 27. Flamiano was arrested Oct. 29 after being mistakenly
identified as Abu Tagalog, a member of the Abu Sayyaf involved in the hostage
taking at the Dos Palmas Resort in Sipadan, Palawan. “We urge the Philippine
National Police (PNP) to publicly apologize for arresting the wrong Abu Tagalog,”
said OMA Director Abdel Abdullah Macarimpas. Director Macarimpas
condemned the manner by which Amil was arrested by the PNP-National Capital
Region, the manhandling by the arresting officers, and the violations of Amil’s
rights. “They (PNP) also have to
apologize to all Muslims, particularly in Baguio. The arrest of Amil did not
only inflict wounds to the very persons of Amil and his family but also to all
peace-loving Muslims,” adds Macarimpas, whose office had been monitoring the
case. “There was a violation of
the human rights of Amil. Physical force was inflicted on him. He was tortured
by the arresting officers,” he adds, “although a warrant of arrest was issued by
a court of competent jurisdiction.” The warrant, though issued by a judge, is
allegedly questionable as it only lists a certain Abu Tagalog, without any
description. Macarimpas adds, that the
call for a public apology is without prejudice to whatever legal case Amil and
his family will decide to file. Torture When Amil was arrested Oct.
29 by police officers, he was allegedly brought to one of the PNP camps in
Manila. NORDIS learned the ordeal
that Amil went through in a sharing he made after the noon prayer on Friday,
Nov. 18. Based on Amil’s accounts
during noon prayer Nov. 18, he was hit with the butt of armalite rifles and
handcuffed while in detention. He also recalled that he was constantly poked
with guns causing him to experience mental and emotional anguish. Muslims as terrorists
Under police custody, Amil
claimed that the arresting officers equate Muslims with terrorists. “The police claim that when
they arrest NPA (New Peoples Army) guerillas, they are NPA. When they arrest
Muslims, they are terrorists,” Amil recounted. Macarimpas hit the equation
of Islam with terrorism. “The PNP must spare innocent Muslims from being
harassed and arrested in the guise of the fight against terrorism. Wounds
inflicted upon Muslims will never be healed if their rights are continuously
violated and trampled upon,” he adds. Elusive peace
He adds that sincerity of
the government in dealing with Muslims is questionable if the rights of innocent
civilians are not respected. “The government efforts on
national reconciliation and peace remain elusive unless the government is
sincere in dealing with Muslims,” he adds. Meanwhile, the Muslim
community of the city supports the call for the PNP to publicly apologize for
the arrest of Amil. “This act of the PNP may
become a precedent where any Muslim can just be arrested even without valid
reason and without observing the appropriate processes,” says a Muslim vendor in
his mid-30s. He adds that Muslims are in
the city to earn a living because the lack in job opportunities in war-torn
Mindanao pushed them to migrate to this highland city. He cited as an example
Amil who is just an ordinary staff of the Islamic Almaarif Education Center.
Another woman claimed that
the practice of terrorist tagging should be stopped as it condemns and
victimizes Muslims. She joined groups in Baguio opposing the proposed
anti-terrorism bill in Congress. The Muslims interviewed
said that had the arresting PNP coordinated with the OMA and other Muslim
institutions and organizations in Baguio, they could have known that Amil is not
Abu Tagalog. The reward system given to police officers for arresting alleged
terrorists drive the PNP to “short cut” legal processes at the expense of
Muslims, they added. Northern Dispatch/Posted by Bulatlat © 2005 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
Muslim
community demands apology
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat