Maguindanao massacre trial: Judge frees man arrested by mistake

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City judge handling the Maguindanao massacre trial has ordered the release from detention of a man mistakenly arrested as one of the suspects in the Nov. 23, 2009 bloodbath.

In a five-page order released to the media yesterday, Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes directed the jail warden of the Quezon City Jail-Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa to release Jun Aliman, who was previously identified as suspect Sahid Guiamadel.

Solis-Reyes said reasonable doubt clouds the inference that Aliman is the same person as Guiamadel, who was among those charged with 58 count of murder in connection with the Maguindanao massacre.

The order for the release of Aliman, who was arrested in Kidapawan City on Dec. 14, 2011, came months after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) came up with a report saying his arrest was a case of mistaken identity.

The investigation of the CIDG showed that the police officer who arrested Aliman was purposely misled by a certain Utto that he was the suspect charged for the massacre.

In a letter to Solis-Reyes in November 2013, then CIDG Director Francisco Uyami said the real Guiamadel was in fact Arnel Abdullah, who was separately arrested for illegal possession of firearms in Sultan Kudarat on Feb. 22, 2012.

Solis-Reyes directed the issuance of an arrest warrant for Abdullah, who is currently detained at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Jail.

Earlier, police also arrested Dexson Saptula, alias Mohammad Adam, only to find out that another Saptula, alias Rene Matuti, was already arrested and arraigned for the massacre. The issue is currently up for resolution before the court.