By Charmaine Deogracias
MANILA, Philippines — The son of a leader of the Moro National Liberation Front and a Mindanao lawmaker has been in Malaysian custody for almost two months now in connection with the September 2 Davao City bombing, multiple police,military and diplomatic sources said.
Datu Mohammad AbduljabbarSema, 26, was arrested on Nov. 24, 2016 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport upon his arrival from Bangkok aboard Air Asia flight AK 891.
Sema is the son of Muslimin Sema,chairman of the largest faction of the MNLF and Maguindanao Rep. Bai Sandra Sema.
Muslimin Sema is a former Cotabato mayor and is being considered for membership in the Bangsamoro Transition Council (BTC).
His mother belongs to the influential Sinsuat clan of Maguindanao.
The young Sema, who, a well-placed source said, is an Islamic scholar, had been tracked travelling to and from Bangkok, exiting to Cambodia.
When his 30-day visa-free entry was about to expire, he decided to go to Malaysia, intending to return to Thailand after three days. He was arrested upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur.
He is now in Malaysian custody in an undisclosed location that is reportedly not a police facility. The Philippine government sent law enforcement representatives to Malaysia to take his deposition last month.
A source said the mother is working for the release of her son through a pardon from President Rodrigo Duterte.
Another source confirmed to VERA Files that the father sought the assistance of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza on this case. The mother has also been following the case up with Dureza.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star