MANILA — The Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) filed criminal charges on Wednesday before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against a suspected terrorist who was arrested in a checkpoint in Basilan.
Spanish national Abdelhakim Labidi Adib, 20, was charged with violation of Republic Act 9516 or illegal possession of firearms, after he was reportedly caught carrying a backpack containing a hand grenade, one rifle grenade, a cellular phone used as a detonating device, credit card, identification card, passport and cash worth PHP8,520.
Adib’s arrest came after the AFP’s 14th Special Forces Company received intelligence information that two suspicious personalities, one believed to be a foreigner, were to pass Barangay Townsite in Maluso, Basilan.
He was then arrested at the military checkpoint in Barangay Townsite on January 22 while his companion, a member of the Abu Sayyaf group, was able to flee.
During their investigation, the military learned that Adib arrived in the country last October 10 last year and his tourist visa was valid until December 8, therefore was already expired.
Adib underwent inquest proceedings before Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong and Assistant State Prosecutor Rodan Parrocha on Wednesday.
During the proceeding, the suspect said that the accusations against him were false and that he would provide evidence to prove his innocence.
Adib arrived in the country from Switzerland on Oct. 10, 2017.
He also denied knowing the name of his Filipino companion whom he claimed was his guide. He also denied owning the black and red colored backpack and the explosives found inside.
He said that it was not his intention to go to Basilan and that he went to the Philippines for a vacation. He first went to Manila and then Davao and stayed for two months in Cagayan de Oro.
“There are many beautiful women here,” Adib said in Spanish.
He added that the cellular phone found inside the bag was not his. He reportedly left his cellular phone to someone, whom he did not name, in Basilan even if he was already intending to leave the island and travel to Zamboanga.
He claimed that his real bag contained his clothes and eyeglasses but these were not presented to the DOJ prosecutors on Wednesday.
But when he was asked again about the purpose of his visit to Basilan, he refused to answer.
He was reportedly intending on returning to Spain before he was arrested. From Basilan, he was supposed to take a ferry ride to Zamboanga where he would wait for the money that would be sent by his father to buy his airplane ticket to get home.
According to his counsel from the Public Attorney’s Office, Adib sought to file a waiver of detention and undergo a thorough preliminary investigation to answer the allegations hurled against him.
The DOJ scheduled the preliminary investigation on Wednesday at 2 p.m. where Adib is set to file his counter-affidavit to the complaint. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
