Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina airs his sentiments on the bloody Mamasapano clash before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law on Wednesday, February 4. Espina called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to surrender the firearms taken from the 44 fallen policemen. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Deputy Director-General Leonardo Espina on Thursday said the body of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, had already been buried in a barangay in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao.
In an interview with reporters, Espina said the police had received intelligence reports that Marwan was indeed buried in the area.
“He had to be buried (right away) as per Muslim culture,” he explained.
Muslims bury their dead within 24 hours after the loved one has passed on.
He, however, did not specify which barangay where the suspected terrorist was buried.
Earlier, residents of Barangay Libutan denied reports that Marwan was buried beside the Pusaka mosque, the oldest and therefore the most sacred mosque in the entire province of Maguindanao.
The residents said that they would not allow a terrorist like Marwan to be laid to rest at the sacred site.
On Jan. 25, the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force launched Oplan Exodus to arrest Marwan and Filipino bomb maker and Abu Sayyaf member Abdul Basit Usman.
The elite commandos managed to kill Marwan before figuring in an extended firefight against Moro members of the Islamic Liberation Front and its breakaway group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters broke out. Forty-four SAF men died during the clash.
Usman escaped and remains at large.(MNS)