Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, acting as martial law administrator, has issued Arrest Order No. 1 for 100 people for rebellion.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II announced Lorenzana鈥檚 directive in front of several children tagged as members of the Maute clan, blamed for the siege of Marawi City that prompted President Duterte鈥檚 declaration of martial law last week.
鈥淎ctually, the declaration of martial law is only on the island of Mindanao, but its effects, for example the arrest order, can be implemented anywhere,鈥� Aguirre said. 鈥淲e have to remember rebellion is a continuing offense.
The arrest order was issued on Monday. The National Bureau of Investigation received a copy on Tuesday.
Maute, Abu Sayyaf links
Aguirre said the people named in the arrest order had been identified as 鈥渕embers, supporters, spies, couriers of the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf group鈥� blamed for 鈥渋ndiscriminately killing, kidnapping and perpetuating bombings in Marawi City and some parts of Mindanao, sowing terror to the populace.鈥�
The four-page Arrest Order No. 1 was shown to reporters while 27 men, women and children, including a 2-year-old boy, were at the NBI to clear their names.
鈥淎mong these individuals, 13 names were listed in a memorandum dated May 26, 2017, from the chief consultant of Visayas-Mindanao field office of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, and were labeled as 鈥榤embers of the Maute clan who have, in one way or the other aided and abetted the killings and attack recently happened in Marawi City,鈥� the NBI鈥檚 initial report read.
Boys on list
Those accused include 15- and 10-year-old boys, according to the NBI.
Dalomilang Parahiman, a lawyer for the accused, said his clients鈥� only fault was having Maute and Bandrang for their surnames.
鈥淏ut Maute is a very common surname. As common as De la Cruz,鈥� said Parahiman, who is also regional director in the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
Most of the adults were businessmen, Parahiman said. They were bound for Saudi Arabia together with their families but a government lookout bulletin barred them from leaving.
These women and children were among those presented to reporters by the NBI. They were also present when Aguirre announced the arrest order.
Aguirre said the government had received passenger manifests listing supporters of Maute group who had left Mindanao.