Maguindanao massacre trial Judge orders arrest of suspect ‘missing’ from gov’t custody

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City judge handling the 2009 Maguindanao massacre trial has ordered the arrest of a suspect who was earlier served a warrant but was not committed to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Information obtained by The STAR showed that Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes ordered the re-issuance of an arrest warrant against one suspect, whose name was withheld as he was allegedly a minor at the time of the massacre. The order was dated Sept. 6, 2012.

Based on records, the court was informed of the suspect’s arrest in a return of warrant dated Dec. 17, 2010. The return noted that the suspect was under the custody of the Municipal Social Services and Development Division (MSSDD) in Midsayap, North Cotabato as he was facing charges of illegal possession of firearms.

Meanwhile a former member of the Ampatuan family’s private militia, Edrishiani Tikay, was arrested in Barangay Pinguiaman in Lambayong, a remote town in Sultan Kudarat province Friday by provincial police officers and members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Tikay was a resident of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao but relocated to Lambayong after the massacre.

Datu Unsay Mayor Reshal Ampatuan is the wife of Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is being tried as one of the massacre’s alleged masterminds.

Status unknown

The 2010 accomplishment report of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said there is a reward of P250,000 for the suspect’s capture.

Despite information that the warrant has already been served to the suspect, the court was not able to immediately issue a commitment order for his transfer to Bicutan as it has yet to verify the status of his case in Cotabato.

In a letter dated Oct. 18, 2011, RTC Branch 221 clerk of court Jimmy Cardines asked the RTC Branch 18 in Midsayap about the status of the suspect’s illegal possession of firearms case.

In a reply dated Nov. 15, 2011, the Cotabato court said that no criminal case was filed against the Maguindanao massacre suspect.

On Nov. 21, 2011, Solis-Reyes issued a commitment order asking the jail warden of the Quezon City Jail-Annex in Bicutan to take custody of the suspect, who was believed to be under the custody of the MSSDD in Midsayap at the time.

The suspect was still not brought to Metro Manila almost a year after the issuance of the commitment order, prompting Solis-Reyes to issue another arrest warrant for the 57 counts of murder filed against him.

In the order, the judge said that the non-filing of the illegal possession of firearms charge explained the failure of the North Cotabato District Jail to implement the commitment order.

The suspect has yet to be “re-arrested” by authorities.

Last month, the name of the suspect was included in the list of 92 suspects ordered arrested for the murder charge filed in connection with the alleged death of the 58th victim, photojournalist Reynaldo Momay.

This development brought the number of arrested suspects down to 105.

Fifty-eight people, including 32 media practitioners, died in the incident dubbed as the single worst incident for journalists in world history.               – With John Unson