8 Maguindanao local officials tagged by Duterte surrender to police

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao — Fearing for their lives and to prove they are clean, eight local officials of the province tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte in the illegal drugs trade surrendered to police authorities Sunday.

“All of them denied the charges and submitted themselves to investigations and proper documentation,” Senior Superintendent Nickson Muksan, Maguindanao Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, told GMA News in an exclusive coverage.

The mayors and vice mayors, who no longer have their usual police and Army escorts, arrived at the PPO between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The local officials were accompanied by their relatives and supporters.

The local officials were:

• Mayor Rasul Sangki of Ampatuan town
• Mayor Montasir Sabal of Talitay
• Mayor Vicman Montawal of Datu Montawal
• Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan
• Mayor Norodin Salasal of Datu Salibo town
• Vice Mayor Abdulwahab Sabal of Talitay
• Vice Mayor Otto Montawal of Datu Montawal
• Vice Mayor Anida Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan

Vice Mayor Abdulwahab is the brother of Mayor Sabal while Vice Mayor Otto is the father of Mayor Montawal and Vice Mayor Anida is the wife of Mayor Dimaukom.

“I am denying, I and my son, [were] involved in illegal drugs or any illegal activity in the province. We could be victims of misinformation and envy of our position in politics,” Vice Mayor Montawal said.

“We came over because we are innocent of the charges and most willing to undergo the process, me and my vice-mayor wife are ready to face any investigation because we wanted to clear our names,” Mayor Dimaukom said.

Mayor Sangki had also submitted himself to Chief Superintendent Agripino Javier, police director in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Thursday, to clear his name.

Mayor Sabal who repeatedly denied the charges in several media interviews said he was reluctant to appear before Camp Crame on Monday. He said he feared that he will be charged with more charges.

Salasal, meanwhile, said he has nothing to worry and was very surprised when he found out that his name was among those announced by Duterte.

“How could I be in big-time drug trade when I don't even own a decent house," he said, adding that he is willing to submit to a lifestyle check.

Off to Crame

Muksan said the local officials have also agreed to proceed to the Philippine National Police's headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City to meet with Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

He said that he started convincing the eight local officials to surrender as early as 8 a.m.

“I told them I cannot control the warning of the President Duterte on his mandate to initiate [a] shoot-to-kill order if they will not heed to the call, and by 8 a.m. tomorrow they should be all in Camp Crame,” Muksan said.

As warned by Duterte, Muksan confirmed that local officials' police escorts and those assigned in their towns have been pulled out.

The local officials also allowed themselves to be "booked" by the local police for documentation. —ALG, GMA News