Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan rebutted Maimbung Sulu ex-Vice Mayor Pandu Mudjasan for blaming him as the mastermind behind his criminal charges, saying that all allegations are ‘fake’.
In an exclusive interview in DZRH’s Damdaming Bayan on Thursday, July 6, Tan defended himself by detailing the root cause of the firefight between Mudjasan’s group and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on June 24, 2023.
Tan pointed out that the incident started with Mudjasan’s family clashes, causing them to receive an arrest warrant. This comes following Mudjasan's interview in the same program last July 4.
"Kasi nag-away sila pati first cousin ng asawa niya nagpatayan sila, ang namatay mga sibilyan, mga Badjao, kinasuhan siya. Kasi sila nagpaputok," said Tan.
"Syempre may batas, akala nila nasa gubat pa rin sila e' na walang batas. Nakasuhan siya pati asawa niya," he added.
The Sulu governor said that he even helped Mudjasan’s wife be released from jail in favor of his wife.
"Gumawa ng paraan, makiusap sa PAO kung pwedeng magpyansa kasi babae 'yan. Ako nagpyansa sakanila, tapos ako pa sisisihin," he said.
When Tan asked about Mudjasan’s claim to his land interest, which they refused to sell, he denied it by saying his father has a lot of properties.
He also detailed how he discovered illegal firearms where the encounter happened, mentioning the bullet of a '57rr tank', which was confiscated by the national police.
Mudjasan who is a former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Commander, has been wanted for allegedly recruiting civilians for a private armed group that he may use for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in October.
"Ako wala akong mensahe sakanya, bahala siya sa buhay niya, may nagdidikta sakanya, alam mo yung mga terorista nagsasama sama yan," the Governor said.
