MNLF: Marwan not dead

On the morning of January 29, 2015, the remains of the members of the PNP Special Action Force slain in Mamasapano arrived at the Villamor Air Base. The fallen PNP SAF were accorded arrival honors, led by the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas, PNP Deputy Dir. Gen. Leonardo Espina, and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang. (Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office)

MANILA – The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) said that international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, is still alive, denying reports that he was killed during the bloody clash between police operatives and Muslim rebels in Maguindanao last week.

“As far as the MNLF is concerned, Marwan is alive,” said MNLF spokesman Emmanuel Fontanilla.

According to Fontanilla, when the officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Forces (SAF) raided the residence of Zulkifli, the latter was in Lanao del Sur.

During the bloody encounter, 44 SAF members died under the arms of members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Given this, Fontanilla is asking the government to get a DNA report from an independent body to ensure that Zulkifli was indeed killed during the raid.

Regarding the photos that surfaced, he claimed that it could have been modified or “Photoshopped.”

He added that they received a military intelligence saying that Zulkifli knew of the raid because of an asset and was able to escape by riding a pump boat.

“The high-value target of the PNP was not in the area when the raid took place,” he pointed out.