Maguindanao top cop claims massacre witness lied

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer representing Maguindanao’s highest police official at the time of the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre attacked the credibility of a prosecution witness’ testimony during an administrative hearing at the National Police Commission (Napolcom) Friday.

Lawyer Abdulkalim Askali questioned the affidavit of Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg, who accused his client, Senior Superintendent Abusama Maguid, of ordering Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay in Tagalog to ensure that pieces of evidence related to the massacre have been cleared.

In his affidavit, Macaraeg claimed he overheard Maguid instructing Dicay to say that he “received a bomb threat and that it was a false alarm.”

Macaraeg added that Maguid also told Dicay to “clean up the evidence,” to which Dicay alleged replied, “Yes, sir.”

Askali, however, said Maguid and Dicay, who are both Maguindanaoan, “never talked to each other in Tagalog” and that Macaraeg, on the other hand, does not understand Maguindanaoan.

“Where did he get this? He is inventing stories,” Askali said.

During cross-examination, Macaraeg insisted that he overheard Maguid giving directions in Tagalog. He even raised his voice several times while answering Askali’s questions, prompting the ad hoc committee to call for a five-minute recess. When Macaraeg took the witness stand again, he discreetly made a sign of the cross.

“I almost called the panel’s attention to discipline because he has become discourteous to me but I just let it pass,” Askali said.

Macaraeg is Maguindanao’s third highest-ranking official at the time of the crime. He became a prosecution witness for the Napolcom’s administrative hearing, pending his request to become state witness in the criminal proceedings.

During the hearing, some of his fellow accused criticized his testimony. A policeman, who refused to be identified, told The STAR that “it was impossible for Macaraeg to issue detailed statements because he was only in Maguindanao on Nov. 22.”

Napolcom set the next hearing on Sept. 17, with Senior Superintendent Alex Linesses, officer-in-charge of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, scheduled to testify. Both camps also agreed to conduct a day-long hearing on Oct. 1.