VOL. 7 ISSUE 128 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014
P 15.00 • 20 PAGES
www.edgedavao.net
EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society
TEACHER OR TERRORIST? Counsel wants voluntary exit for Dr. Philips
By FUNNY PEARL A. GAJUNERA
T
he legal counsel of Canadian professor Abu Ameen Bilal Philips, who was detained in Davao City on suspicion of having ties with a terrorist movement, filed for a voluntary exit for his client. In an interview with 105.9 Balita FM, lawyer Glocelito Jayma said he filed the petition on Tuesday afternoon to let his client leave the country of his own will. “In order to avoid misunderstanding, he just wants to leave the country voluntarily. We are now processing that,” Jayma said. Jayma said he strongly believes the allegations that Philips is involved with a terrorist group is “just a misunderstanding” since the latter teaches traditional Muslim culture. “He is just an educator, so it is just a misunderstanding… he even has a website in which his writings can be seen,” he said. Jayma said they are ex-
pecting the answer to their petition within the week. He insisted that his client has no criminal record in the country. Bilal has been banned in several countries, including the US, US, Australia, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Jayma said the voluntary exit they are requesting is still a form of deportation. “Actually a voluntary exit is a voluntary deportation on the part of the alien. It is still a deportation but a voluntary one. That will still be on record as far as the BI (Bureau of Immigration) is concerned,” Jayma said. If their petition is granted, Philips will be put into the watch list order of the BI. Jayma, however, said
that can still be changed. Jayma said Philips had visited the Philippines several times and does not have any bad record here. The Mercy Islamic Center strongly believes Philips is not a threat to national security. Center manager Eisa Javier said the 68-year-old scholar was just invited to Davao City by an organization to conduct lectures for some parents on how to raise their children in an Islamic culture. Javier also said the teachings of Philips have nothing to do with political issues or radicalism. “Ang pagpunta rito ni Dr. Bilal walang kinalaman sa political issues o radicalism. Inimbitahan siya dito ng isang organisasyon na mayroon ding Islamic school dito sa Davao to lecture kung paano mag palaki ng bata in Islamic way (Dr.
FTEACHER, 10
IS HE A TERRORIST? Dr. Bilal Philips, suspected terror movement supporter, is shown in his website photo during one of his lectures.
INSIDE EDGE
DCPO TO SUE MALL PROTESTERS THE BIG NEWS Page2
ARE THE GILAS STILL HEALTHY? SPORTS page 16
Now it’s ‘Miriam-Rody’ for 2016
S
ENATOR Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday had netizens abuzz when she said she was eyeing Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as her running mate if she makes a run for the presidency in 2016. “I would love to run with Rudy Duterte. He would make an excellent VP for enforcement. Maybe we can make him change his mind,” Santiago said in a tweet just before noon yesterday.
She quickly added, however, that she was also considering former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Senator Grace Poe. “I am considering Rudy Duterte, Gilbert Teodoro, or maybe we can have two women running together - Miriam and Grace.It sounds like a restaurant,” she said. Mayor Duterte, however, quickly rejected the idea. His executive assistant, Christopher Lawrence Go,
FNOW, 10