The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday announced the arrest of Marawi City Vice Mayor Annouar Romuros Abedin Abdulrauf for murder and attempted murder charges filed by the wife of the slain victim, Latip Sultan.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said “the incumbent Vice Mayor of the City of Marawi is now using the name Anouar A. Abdulrauf to evade arrest.”

The witness in the case Abdulraof Alim Dimaporo positively identified him as the same person Anouar Abedin Romuros Abdulrauf, one of the accused in the said cases.

Operatives from four divisions of the NBI including criminal intelligence, counter terrorism, counter intelligence, and intelligence research and analysis served an alias warrant of arrest on Monday issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) – Caloocan.

The subject was arrested at the Hall of Justice in Marawi City after the flag-raising ceremony at Marawi City Hall.  

The 103rd Infantry of the Philippine Army, Task Force Marawi of Marawi City, and Task Force Oro of Cagayan De Oro City also assisted in the conduct of the arrest.

The victim died in 2013 during a legitimate service of a Search Warrant for violation of RA 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act) by the NBI Counter Intelligence Division in Tala, Caloocan City.

NBI operatives were already implementing the search warrant when a group of armed individuals led by Abdulrauf opened fire at the operatives killing Sultan and wounding others. 

Meanwhile, other co-accused in the said cases are still at large and a continued manhunt operation is being conducted.