Omar’s widow formally charged

AUTHORITIES formally charged the widow of terrorist leader Omar Maute with illegal possession of explosives before the Iligan City prosecutors office on Tuesday, November 7.

The police charged Minhati Madrais after she yielded bomb-making paraphernalia following her arrest at her house in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, over the weekend.

Senior Superintendent Leony Roy Ga, Iligan City Police Office (ICPO) chief, said Madrais immediately availed her rights for preliminary investigation.

A preliminary investigation is a ‘proceeding to determine whether there is a sufficient ground to engender a wellfounded belief that a crime has been committed and the respondent is probably guilty and should be held for trial.”

Ga said the prosecutor gave the suspect 10 days to submit her counter-affidavit.

The ICPO chief said the suspect remains under their custody pending resolution of the case.

However, Ga said Madrais may be detained at the Iligan City Jail once the prosecutor resolves the case and issues a commitment order.

The social welfare office, on the other hand, had started the intervention for the suspect’s children, whom the police said have showed signs of being radicalized.

Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), said the ICPO has full security control on the detention of the high-risk suspect.

Gonda said “target hardening” and “security measures” are in place as the police are all ready in the event that terrorists would try to rescue Madrais.

“ICPO has the security control and the police is ready sa assumption nga posible i-rescue ang suspect,”Gonda said.

Gonda said the Northern Mindanao police will wait for further instructions and orders from the national headquarters in Camp Crame regarding Madrais’ case.