Finally, an elderly Muslim who was arrested last year over a case of mistaken identity is a free man – 176 days after he was arrested and detained, Senator Robin Padilla said.
Padilla said Mohammad Maca-Antal Said, who was arrested Aug. 10 last year and whose case the legislator had closely monitored, was released from the Taguig City Jail after the courts handling his cases ordered his freedom.
But the lawmaker also noted another victim of mistaken identity still awaits freedom, even as he reiterated his call for better coordination and information-sharing among government agencies, so no one will go through what Said had experienced.
“Matapos po ang mahabang paghihintay at pagtitiis, si Tatay Said po ay nakalaya na. Ginoong Pangulo, dahil po sa ipinakitang pagmamahal ng Senado at ipinaglaban ng Senado na makalaya si Tatay, ngayon po mahal na G Pangulo, nandito si Tatay nakalabas na po siya. Maraming maraming salamat po,” the senator said.
“’Pag nag-ingay at pinaglaban ng Senado talagang merong demokrasyang mararamdaman ang ating kababayan.”
“Ito ay tagumpay sapagkat dito pinakita ang boses ng Senado. Pag nag-ingay at pinaglaban ng Senado talagang merong demokrasyang mararamdaman ang ating kababayan,” he added.
Padilla, citing the details of Said’s case, said “Tatay Mohammad” was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 as he was preparing to depart for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
But he said “Tatay Mohammad,” who hails from Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, happened to have the same name as one Mohammad Said a.k.a. Ama Maas who had nine warrants for his arrest.
However, Padilla said there is another victim of mistaken identity – Mohammad Pangcoga Said – who needs help.
“Ito po ay hindi makatwiran, makatarungan at makatao.”
“Ito po ay hindi makatwiran, makatarungan at makatao. Hindi na po ito katanggap tanggap lalo na sa panahon na bumubuhos ang teknolohiya at innovation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Padilla sought to address the loopholes in information-sharing among agencies, even as he reminded the government of the 1987 Constitution’s Bill of Rights.
“Kung nais nating ibalik ang tiwala ng publiko patatagin ang pundasyon ng isang makatarungang lipunan, sana po wala nang matulad kay Tatay Mohammad at Mohammad Said,” he said.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva offered apologies to Said and promised action from the Senate to prompt concerned agencies to make the needed improvements to the justice system.
For his part, Senate President Migs Zubiri agreed and urged Padilla to “continue to fight for the needs of our kababayan, particularly our Muslim brothers in Mindanao.”
