PNP DEFENDS RAIDS, SAYS NO WITCH HUNT

The Philippine National Police (PNP) defended its move to intensify police
anti-drugs operations at an Islamic community in Quezon City while
stressing there is no witch hunt against Muslim residents in the area.

"These are legitimate operations. If there are individuals who have
violated the law or our campaign against illegal drugs, regardless of
religion, the law will be applied," said PNP spokesman Senior
Superintendent Joel Goltiao.

Goltiao said the PNP's intensifed anti-criminality drive in Barangay
Culiat, Quezon City yesterday which resulted in the arrest of 12
individuals, who committed various violations ranging from illegal
possession of firearms to possession of explosive materials.

Superintendent Procorpio Lipana, chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit
of the Central Police District, said the raid was conducted by joint
operatives from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (ISAFP), PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force,
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Central and Western Police
Districts and the Special Action Force.

Arrested during the raid were Dawabe Ben Albi Maulana, businessman from
Basilan; Musa Sabaddin Abdurahman, 27; Awop Wadja Ignus, 26; Radjail
Karawan Tirih, 34; Raquel Francisco Mabajo, 26; Pamaran Alain Awali, 48;
Abubakar Cuevas Zunco, 34; Talib Masiba Uddin, 52; Arsad Indaman Abduhabi;
Hasan Sambani Zunco, 42; and Rene Hussien Ladjamalik, 43.

Suspect Hasan Zunco, who was sporting a black eye, belied accusations that
he was involved in illegal activities.

Police said Abubakar Zunco and Abdualhadi were policemen while Uddin was a
former policeman dismissed from the service.

Lipana said the still undetermined amount of explosives were confiscated
from Maulana, a coordinator of the Suara Bangsamoro party list group.
Seized from the suspects were some 100 grams of shabu, a caliber 7.62M-14
rifle, two caliber .45 pistols; four MK3 A2 fragmentation grenades; several
kilos of explosive ingredients, and ammunition.