v11n0203

“
In open court,
however, Mariano
claimed innocence
and once again
insisted that he was
not Commander
Mamagong, contrary
to the claims of the
police.
”
150
Date of alleged abduction: 13 January 2007at around 2-3pm
Place of alleged abduction: Mega Market, Poblacion (downtown)
Carmen, North Cotabato province
Place of detention before his release: North Cotabato Provincial
Rehabilitation Center at Amas, Kidapawan City
AHRC-UA-048-2007; AHRC-UP-131-2007
At around 2-3pm on 13 January 2007, Oting mariano was
forcibly taken into a white van by four unidentified men. He was
in the premises of the mega market in Poblacion (downtown)
Carmen, waiting for public transport. Inside the vehicle, he was
handcuffed, blindfolded with a piece of cloth and his mouth
wrapped with packing tape. he was punched several times on
his chest and back.
The van stopped after several hours of travel. mariano’s
blindfold was replaced with a rubberized material and he
was brought inside a secluded room. here mr. mariano was
interrogated and forced to admit that he was Commander Kule
mamagong of the mILF. mamagong had warrants of arrest dated
12 January 2007 signed by Judge Francis E. Palmones Jr. of
Regional Trial Court Branch 17 of Kidapawan City Province of
north Cotabato pending against him. The criminal charges were
in connection to the bomb attack in October 2006 in makilala,
also in north Cotabato.
whenever mariano denied that he was mamagong, they
electrocuted him by mean of wires placed on the sides of his
head and arms. his head was wrapped with cellophane or dipped
into water and removed only when he was about to faint through
suffocation. he was deprived of food for several days. he was
thrown into a shallow grave and threatened that he would be
killed but was later pulled out. After being subjected to illegal
detention and torture for seven days, on 19 January 2007 a police
officer named Senior Police Officer Sanchez took him to the North
Cotabato Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Amas,
Kidapawan City.
On March 14, Mariano was arraigned for the charges filed,
not on his person, but of mamagong. In open court, however,
he claimed innocence and once again insisted that he was not
Commander mamagong, contrary to the claims of the police. This
prompted the presiding judge to order the prosecutor to conduct a
reinvestigation on the case. But for several months the prosecutor
failed to submit his reinvestigation report. Only in September 20
was mariano released from detention following the decision by
the prosecutor office to dismiss the case.
article 2 � June-Sept 2012 Vol. 11, No. 2-3