18 alleged Maute members yield to NBI

At least 18 alleged members of the Maute terror group linked to the Marawi siege surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila yesterday.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II ordered the NBI to investigate the suspects.

The probe is pursuant to an arrest order issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana against over 125 alleged Maute and Abu Sayyaf ter- rorists.

Those who surrendered went to the NBI headquarters to clear their names after they were included in the arrest order.

They are members of the Maute and Bandrang family, who said they were worried after seeing their names on the list.

Some of the surrenderees came from Lanao del Sur, said lawyer Dalomintang Parahiman, regional director of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos in South Luzon. The others have been living in a Muslim community in Quezon City.

Quiapo bombing suspects released?

Meanwhile, police are back to facing a blank wall in the investigation into the Quiapo twin bombings that left two persons dead and six others wounded on May 26.

The Manila Police District (MPD) released yesterday the three suspects in the May 6 blasts for lack of evidence. They were Halid Macatanong, 51; Aamir Shahzad Khan, and Joanne Palmiano.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Joel Coronel said they invited the three for questioning on Tuesday after receiving information that they checked into a lodging house near the blast site the night before the explosions.

“They were brought to the MPD headquarters because we had information that they were present during the bombings,” Coronel said.

“But based on the investigation conducted, there is no evidence to establish that they are connected with the bombings,” he added.

However, STAR sources said that Macatanong, Khan and Palmiano are still being held by police.

The MPD is reportedly waiting for the arrest of another suspect, Hannah Maurum, before they are presented to media.