Massacre suspects still hiding in Maguindanao, North Cotabato

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Some of the suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre have reportedly been holding out in marshlands at the border of Maguindanao and North Cotabato, police and Army intelligence officials said.

More than 90 suspects in the massacre, touted as the country’s worst election-related violence, remain unaccounted for.

The 6th Infantry Division tasked Monday two of its units in North Cotabato, the 7th and 40th Infantry Battalions, to help the provincial police locate the whereabouts of the suspects reportedly hiding at marshy areas near Maguindanao.

Policemen arrested Saturday in Midsayap, North Cotabato the alleged operator of the backhoe used in digging the common graves of the 58 people slaughtered on Nov. 23, 2009 by gunmen in Salman Hill, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

The suspect, Bong Andal, an ethnic Maguindanaon, was cornered in an entrapment operation by operatives of the Midsayap municipal police and the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Kapinpilan, Midsayap.

Superintendent Joseph Samillano, chief of the Midsayap municipal police, said confidential informants have been telling them that there are massacre suspects hiding in the boundary of Midsayap and Datu Piang town in Maguindanao.

Andal was arrested just as he was leaving to visit his family in Barangay Kadigasan, also in Midsayap town. He carried a P250,000 reward on his head. He is now in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Supt. Leo Quevedo, chief of the CIDG-ARMM, told reporters that they will turn Andal over this week to the Quezon City Regional Trial Court that issued the warrant for his arrest.

Lawmakers want speedy trial

Meanwhile, senators joined calls yesterday for the need to speed up the Maguindanao massacre trial.

Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Joker Arroyo expressed concern over the long list of respondents that, in the process, is also delaying the trial.

“Live coverage has no effect on the speed of the trial. The fact that there are 200 defendants will necessarily lengthen the trial. The almost 200 are charged as principals based on the basis of conspiracy. Prosecution should review its evidence as some followers may be open to plea bargaining (as accomplices) to reduce number of principals who will actually be tried,” Drilon said.

The high court recently granted a petition filed by the Ampatuans to reconsider a June 14, 2011 ruling penned by then Associate Justice and now Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales that allowed live coverage of the high-profile trial.

Pangilinan, on the other hand, asked Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno to oversee the speedy trial, noting that the massacre had put a black eye on the entire judicial system.

Last Sunday, Sen. Arroyo also advised the Supreme Court to create a special court that will focus solely on the trial.

A human rights lawyer during the martial law years, Arroyo also recommended that daily trial hearings should be conducted to speed up the court proceedings.

“Each defendant in a criminal case is entitled to cross-examine every witness of the prosecution. If you have hundreds of defendants and government has many witnesses, multiply that and you’ll be left with an exceedingly long trial,” he said in a radio interview.

Arroyo cited his own experience as defense counsel for the accused in the M/V Andrea Karagatan gun smuggling case where Jose Maria Sison, Tony Zumel, and Pepe Luneta were among the respondents.

“They had 50 defendants, big and small players, instead of just limiting it to top 10 players like Joma,” the senator said.

During those times, Arroyo said the case did not progress and was overtaken by the 1986 EDSA revolution.

“Every crime has a mastermind. Focus on big ones, the principals, because when you mix the small players also, that will delay the case,” the senator explained.

“I’m not dictating on lawyers handling the case.  I don’t presume to know better, I’m just speaking from experience. Whoever (judge) is handling this case should not be saddled with any other case; maybe SC can arrange that, so this judge can do everyday trial on just this single case,” he added.

“The impunity is overwhelming and even media people who were just there to cover the story were killed. This case must be concluded with the masterminds convicted,” Arroyo said.

He reiterated his call to big law firms to give pro bono help to the families of the victims. – Christina Mendez, Helen Flores