Maute member gets life for Marawi siege

MANILA, Philippines — A Taguig City court yesterday sentenced a member of the Maute-ISIS terror group to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity and rebellion in connection with his participation in the siege of Marawi City.

In a 36-page decision, Judge Felix Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 70 found Junaid Awal – also known as Vice Junaid and Junaid Romato – guilty of violating Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity.

For violating RA 9851’s provision on rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity, Awal was meted a life term and ordered to pay a fine of P500,000.

Awal was sentenced to serve between eight years and 14 years, eight months and a day in prison for rebellion.

Reyes cited the accounts of two witnesses on Awal’s participation in the siege.

The judge said the witnesses, who were held hostage for five months until they escaped, “identified Awal and saw him in Maute uniform, fully armed while fighting in the frontline against the military.”

One of the witnesses, a 16-year-old girl, testified that Awal raped her “17 times more or less” during her five-month captivity and threatened to kill her if she refused, the judge said.

Awal and his lawyer, Abdul Basar, were present during yesterday’s promulgation of the charges filed against him.

Basar insisted Awal was innocent and said they would file a motion for reconsideration.

Awal is the fourth Maute member convicted in connection with the Marawi siege.

Last November, recruiter Nur Supian received a life sentence after being found guilty of terrorism. Araji Samindih and Umad Harun were also found guilty of the same charge but were sentenced to serve between eight years and 14 years, eight months and a day.

More than 1,000 persons were killed when the Maute-ISIS group invaded Marawi City in 2017.