THE Court of Appeals (CA) directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to present and justify before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) executive judge the arrest and detention of an alleged Abu Sayyaf Group member. In a three-page resolution on March 21, the CA granted the petition for issuance of a writ of habeas corpus filed by Jarsum Bandang Balongking, wife of Salahim Hairal Dawani, who was arrested by the NBI over his alleged involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of Golden Harvest Plantation workers in Lantawan, Basilan. In her petition, Ms. Balongking claimed that members of the NBI-Counter Terrorism Division arrested Mr. Dawani in their apartment last March 6 without a warrant and he was not informed of the reason for his arrest. Mr. Dawani’s legal counsel went to the NBI and was only informed of his involvement in the kidnapping case, which was filed before the Zamboanga City RTC Branch 15. The NBI allegedly could not produce a copy of the arrest warrant and the information filed against Mr. Dawani. “Wherefore, the petition being sufficient in form and substance, let the writ of habeas corpus issue returnable to the Executive Judge of the RTC of Manila, directing respondents Director Dante Gierran, Director Sixto M. Burgos, Jr. and Alfred Vitta to produce the body of Salahim Hairal Dawani before such court not later than ten o’clock in the morning of 27 March 2019, at which time the respondents shall show the cause of the restraint,” the CA said. It could not be confirmed as of this posting if the NBI was able to comply with the CA order. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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