Maguindanao massacre case 2 men with the same name arrested

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City court handling the Maguindanao massacre trial has been informed of the arrest of a suspect in the multiple murder case, only to find out that another person with exactly the same name – down to the middle initial – has been arrested and arraigned for the crime.

Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes set a hearing tomorrow to resolve the issue regarding the two arrested men carrying the name Dexson A. Saptula.

The court received on Thursday the return of a warrant from Superintendent Joe Wilson Denamarca of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Denamarca said that one Dexson A. Saptula, alias Mohammad Adam, was arrested on Nov. 9 in Barangay Tukanalugong, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao.

The suspect, who carries a P250,000 reward on his head, was identified by two civilians as the person charged for the massacre.

But upon checking its records, the court learned that another person named Dexson Saptula is under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on March 13.  

Late return of warrant

On Feb. 20, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Detective and Special Operations Division chief Senior Superintendent Reczon Tito Acabado informed the court of the arrest of Dexson Saptula, alias Rene Matuti, in Sarangani.

Acabado said that the suspect had been arrested on July 19, 2012, or seven months prior to the submission of the return of a warrant by elements of the Special Action Team of the Region 12 CIDU.

A spot report said that a former employee of the Ampatuan clan identified him as one of the accused in the massacre.

Acabado also informed the court of the arrest of Norhato Kamino alias Alfeche Banding and Abedin Alamada alias Kumander Bedi on Oct. 20, 2012 and Nov. 1, 2012, respectively.

The return of the warrants for the three suspects were submitted to the court after a STAR report on three missing suspects came out.

The report named Alamada, Talembo Masukat and Nasser Guia.

A separate return warrant for the arrest of Alamada was submitted to the court last February. He has yet to be arraigned for the massacre.

Meanwhile, the court is still unaware of the whereabouts of Guia, who was supposedly arrested on Feb. 8, 2013 in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.