Government prosecutors have tossed out the rebellion charges lodged against 59 suspected members of the Islamic State-linked Maute terror group, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Friday. In a text message to the Inquirer, Aguirre said a panel of state prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday ordered the release from detention of the alleged terrorists after they found “no probable cause” to indict them for rebellion. “The DOJ will not be part of any injustice,” Aguirre said in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT“If in the assessment of our panel of prosecutors there is no basis to charge a person in court, such finding should be respected,” he said. A DOJ panel of prosecutors headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong conducted the preliminary investigation of the criminal complaint filed against the suspected Maute members.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 01, 2017 20:03 UTC