114 massacre suspects still at large

MANILA, Philippines – Government forces are still hunting down 114 more accused in the Maguindanao massacre with the first anniversary of the gruesome killings just 12 days away.

This developed as the 82nd accused in the massacre was arrested by police in the town of Glan in Maguindanao yesterday.

Nasser Malaguial was identified as among the militiamen that took part in the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao last year.

Malaguial, who carries a P250,000 bounty, was arrested in Barangay Gumasa in Glan, police said.

Combined government forces that included the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have coordinated efforts under Task Force Maguindanao to track down the remaining accused.

Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, Task Force chief, said most of the accused being hunted are armed civilian volunteers of the Ampatuans, while others are policemen and soldiers.

Estipona said government forces have accounted for 80 of the accused named in the murder case.

The Task Force has yet to include former Sultan sa Barongis town vice mayor Zukarno Badal, who surrendered recently.

Badal tagged the Ampatuans, particularly former Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who allegedly gave the order to his men to open fire at the victims.

Ampatuan Jr. allegedly led more than a hundred of his men in stopping a convoy carrying supporters of a political rival and journalists in Maguindanao on Nov. 23.

The victims were systematically murdered and buried in shallow pits or dumped in grasslands near a remote road in the province.

Apart from Ampatuan Jr., his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr. and several other clan members are also accused in the murders.

Most of those tagged as the gunmen that took part in the killings were policemen and militiamen.

Four months after the trial began, the prosecution is about to wrap up with one more witness to be presented.

The defense panel, on the other hand, said they are preparing their witnesses to refute allegations against the accused.

Defense lawyers led by Jonathan Presquito said they are likely to present the accused policemen as witnesses to clarify their role in the incident.

“We want to show here that we (referring to his clients) were simply following orders,” Presquito said.

Another defense lawyer Marlon Pagaduan said the situation of policemen in Maguindanao is different.

He claimed the policemen who were assigned to the province are supposed to follow the orders of their superiors and local officials. With Aie Balagtas See