Cops, soldiers accused of illegal search, looting in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines - The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) chapter in Lanao del Sur has slammed the military and police units implementing martial law in Marawi City for alleged illegal searches and seizure and looting of civilian properties in the war-torn city.

In a three-page statement submitted to the Supreme Court by petitioners against President Duterte’s martial law proclamation in Mindanao, the IBP chapter accused the military and the police of committing crimes while implementing martial law and fighting Maute terrorists.

Because of this, the IBP chapter called on martial law administrator Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to immediately stop searches and seizures without court warrants.

While the group said that they support the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, it stressed that it “has not closed its eyes on any forms of abuses committed in the implementation thereof.”

The chapter warned of taking legal actions should the security forces fail to act on this issue.

The local lawyers’ group expressed “severe outrage and condemnation over illegal searches and seizures in Marawi City by military men, police and other law enforcement agencies which result in rampant loss and deprivation of properties and possessions of innocent civilians.”

“As shown in video footages and pictures posted in social media, military men who committed these criminal acts in public exhibited no remorse,” alleged the statement signed by IBP chapter president Aminoden Macalandap.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday dared lawyers in Lanao del Sur to file cases if they have evidence that some state security forces have ransacked properties during clearing operations in Marawi City.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said it would be better for the IBP Lanao del Sur chapter to file charges instead of just floating accusations.

“No abuses should happen. If they are making accusations that some of our policemen and soldiers are involved, they should file the appropriate charges,” Carlos said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Carlos insisted they would never tolerate abuses such as looting being committed by either by soldiers or policemen.

“We hope they would back it up with evidence,” he said.

He told the lawyers who made the accusations to look at the atrocities committed by members of the Maute terror group in Marawi.

The lawyers lamented the “rampant loss of valuable personal belongings of innocent and helpless civilians” as a result of the alleged “wholesale illegal searches and seizures, unparalleled in its magnitude for even the Marcos years of martial rule pale in comparison.”

The IBP chapter said it has received numerous reports of forced entries of private residential and commercial establishments without search warrants, even though these places bore no badge of suspicion of having links with the Maute terrorist group.

It claimed that forced entries were done “without the presence of the media, the owners or any authorized persons,” with the police and military showing “total disregard of plain view doctrine of searches and seizures activities.”

“And yet, no one raises a voice of dissent,” it stressed.

Militant groups will stage a Black Friday protest today to condemn the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Members of BAYAN and Anakbayan in Metro Manila are set to gather at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila before marching to Mendiola Bridge where they will hold the protest action. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Mayen Jaymalin