PNP eyes review of dismissed complaints vs. Tunisian

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday expressed its unhappiness over the decision of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to dismiss the firearms and explosives possession charges against the Tunisian national with alleged ISIS links.

PNP spokesperson and PIO head Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, however, said that the arresting officers could still file a petition for review before the DOJ.

"This is a sad and unfortunate news for the PNP. Anyway this is not yet final the arresting officers can still avail of other legal remedies like filing a petition for review before the secretary of the DOJ," Bulalacao told reporters.

"[In the] meantime, let us just leave this first to the disposition of the investigating teams or their legal officers," he added.

In a resolution dated March 5, the DOJ through Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong dismissed for lack of merit the charges against arrested Tunisian Fehmi Lassoued, alias Haytham Abdulhamid Yusof, and Maguindanao native Anabel Moncera Salipada.

The PNP said that Lassoued and his partner were arrested in their apartment in Ermita, Manila on February 16.

Lassoued in his counter-affidavit claimed that he was not arrested in his apartment, but at the Ayala Triangle while he was taking a cigarette break from his Spanish language class.

He also claimed that he only saw the recovered gun, bullets, and ammunition "for the first time during the inquest proceedings."

The DOH further said in its resolution that the alleged recovered pistol was fake.

It added that the photos of alleged evidence did not include neither the respondents nor the arresting officers, and that the two of the photos of the suspect and the evidence were taken in a place other than their apartment unit. —NB, GMA News