By REY G. PANALIGAN
Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II said yesterday the government is set to extradite to the United States a physician who has been linked to the terror group Maute in the Marawi City siege.
Aguirre said that Dr. Russel Langi Salic, who has been detained at the National Bureau of Investigation, will be extradited despite the pendency of the preliminary investigation against him on charges of kidnapping and murder.
“We have to begin the extradition proceedings being requested by the US. We have a process to be followed and this has been done many times in the past. The preliminary investigation will continue, in the meantime,” he said.
Thus, he said, the Department of Justice will study the options of extradition considering that Salic is facing criminal charges in the Philippines and “this is a subject of study by our state counsels.”
Salic has been accused of plotting terror attacks in the US. Specifically, US authorities have said they foiled a plot by Salic and two other terrorists to carry out attacks in New York City last year.
In the Philippines, Salic has been charged with kidnapping and murder before the DoJ. The cases against him were filed by five Iligan City residents identified as Gabriel Tomatao Permitis, Alfredo Sarsalejo Cano-os, Esperanza Permitis, Adonis Antipisto Mendez, and Julito Permitis Janubas.
Two other persons named as Jaymart Capangpangan and Salvador Janubas were abducted by the group of Salic in 2016 and later on beheaded.
The complainants against Salic stated that they were brought to Butig, Lanao del Sur where they were held by the Maute Group. They accused Salic as the mastermind of the group that carried out the abduction.
They also claimed that Salic talked to spouses Cayamora and Farhana Maute who have been charged with rebellion in connection with the Marawi City siege.
